Craniofacial Abnormalities and Airway Dimensions in Down Syndrome Patients

Objectives: To assess the skeletal structures and airway volume in children with Down syndrome (DS) as compared to children without DS.
Methods: Following IRB approval and reliability tests, 20 cone beam computed tomography scans (CBCTs) for children with DS and without DS (all male aged 10-15 years, n=10 per group) were compared in regards to a total of 22 parameters (7 airway volumes, 5 soft tissue thickness of airway and 10 skeletal). Measurements were recorded using 3D Dolphin Imaging Software. Intraclass correlations (ICC) were performed on duplicate measures of 10 CBCTs. Parameters were compared between DS and non-DS subjects using paired t-test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: ICC values were >0.90 for all parameters. Significant differences were detected in all parameters except for the mandibular length (Co-Gn). DS subjects showed significant decrease in airway parameters and soft tissue thickness of the airway as compared to control subjects. Maxillary sinus volumes of DS subjects were significantly smaller than normal subjects. The average size of the most constricted area of the airway in DS subjects was about 42% as compared to the control subjects. Statistically significant decreases were detected in Co-A, SNA, ANB° and A-N⊥, while statistically significant increases were detected in Ba-S-Na, SNB, B-N, MP-SN and ANS-Me.
Conclusions: DS subjects showed significant decrease in airway volumes, soft tissue thickness and most constricted area of the airway, hyperdivergent mandible, and increased lower anterior facial height compared to the control subjects.