Age- and Gender-Based Tongue Volume Variations on Asymptomatic Patients: A Simplified Approach to Form Baseline Data...

Area of Science:

• Anatomy
• Medical Imaging
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Tongue anatomy is crucial for airway function and disorders like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• Existing research lacks large-scale anatomical data on tongue volume variations.
• Asymptomatic individuals without OSA indications are understudied regarding tongue volume.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish baseline data for tongue volume in asymptomatic adults.
• To investigate the influence of age and gender on tongue volume.
• To validate a simplified geometric method for tongue volume estimation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 120 asymptomatic patients (18-75 years).
• Tongue volume estimation using anterior-posterior length, width, and height from neck CT scans.
• Statistical analysis (ANOVA, post hoc tests, regression) to assess age and gender effects.

Main Results:

• Tongue volume significantly decreased with advancing age (p < 0.05).
• Males consistently exhibited larger tongue volumes than females (p < 0.05).
• Gender was a stronger predictor of tongue volume than age.

Conclusions:

• Age and gender significantly impact tongue volume, necessitating demographic-specific approaches.
• A simplified geometric method provides practical baseline data for large-scale studies.
• Findings support personalized diagnostic thresholds and therapeutic strategies for airway conditions.