A method to describe the pharyngeal airway

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Pulmonology

Background:

• Pharyngeal airway obstruction is a significant clinical issue.
• Accurate modeling of the pharyngeal airway lumen is crucial for diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Existing methods for airway assessment may lack detailed luminal characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and assess the reproducibility of a novel method for modeling the pharyngeal airway lumen using anatomical structures.
• To establish a standardized approach for classifying pharyngeal airway configurations.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series of 117 sedated endoscopies was analyzed.
• Multiple anatomical landmarks (e.g., palate, tongue base, epiglottis) were used to score the airway.
• Two independent observers assessed the reproducibility of the luminal modeling method.

Main Results:

• Good to excellent inter-observer agreement was achieved for scoring individual landmarks (kappa 0.42-0.79).
• High agreement was observed in classifying airway constriction/obstruction (kappa > 0.77).
• Distinct patterns of luminal shape and narrowing were identified, with classification into oblique, intermediate, and vertical shapes for the upper pharynx.

Conclusions:

• Anatomical landmarks identifiable during endoscopy can be used to describe multiple pharyngeal luminal configurations.
• This method allows for the classification of airway phenotypes based on endoscopic findings.
• The described method demonstrates good reproducibility for modeling the pharyngeal airway lumen.