The following is a summary of “Long-range optical coherence tomography of the pediatric airway during drug-induced sleep endoscopy: A preliminary report,” published in the March 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Goshtasbi et al.
The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to assess the utility of long-range optical coherence tomography (LR-OCT) during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Traditional DISE scoring methods are subjective and have limitations, prompting the exploration of LR-OCT as a potential alternative. LR-OCT was employed to visualize the airways of two pediatric patients during DISE, allowing for real-time assessment of obstruction levels at various anatomical sites. Cross-sectional images were obtained at four specific locations in the airway, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were generated for further analysis.
The results revealed distinct obstruction patterns in both patients, highlighting the potential of LR-OCT to accurately identify and quantify obstructions at critical regions such as the velum, oropharynx, tongue base, and epiglottis. Additionally, the 3D reconstructions provided comprehensive visualization of the entire airway, enhancing diagnostic capabilities. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of using LR-OCT during DISE for pediatric OSA evaluation, offering valuable insights into airway dynamics and obstruction severity.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165587624000545
