[Diagnosis of sites of upper airway obstruction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea].

Precise determination of the site of obstruction is mandatory for improvement of surgical outcome. The size of the upper airway depends on the balance between the upper airway(UA) muscle activity and intraluminal pressure. Structural property of the UA is considered to be a fulcrum of the balance model. Our final goal is to identify structural abnormalities within the UA. State-dependent and individual variability of the UA muscle activity and luminal pressure makes interpretation of UA size difficult. Measurements of UA size and evaluation of UA collapsibility may be less valuable during wakefulness and sleep without controlling the variability. Two unique approaches to identify the anatomic abnormalities while controlling the UA muscle activity and luminal pressure were reviewed.