[Association between snoring phenotypes on preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy and polysomnographic metrics in children with obstructive sleep apnea].
Objective: To investigate the associations between snoring phenotypes recorded during preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and polysomnographic (PSG) metrics in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 175 children who underwent structured preoperative DISE between November 1, 2024 and January 1, 2026 because of confirmed/suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or adenoid-related upper airway assessment before orthodontic treatment. Among them, 108 were boys and 67 were girls, with a mean age of (6.9±1.9) years and a median age of 7.0 years (interquartile range, 5.6-8.0 years). All 175 children were included in the DISE descriptive analysis set to summarize structured DISE findings, snoring intensity, and snoring-source plane distribution. Of these, 136 children with DISE-documented snoring were included in the snoring-source plane analysis set to evaluate snoring-source planes and their combinations. Children were grouped according to DISE-recorded snoring intensity grades 0, 1, and 2, the number of five key snoring-source planes, and the presence or absence of each key plane. The five key snoring-source planes included the adenoid, soft palate, tonsil/lateral pharyngeal wall, tongue, and epiglottis. Among the 175 children, 108 with complete PSG outcomes and covariates including age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were included in group comparisons and multivariable regression analyses. The primary outcome was obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI), and the secondary outcome was minimum peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂ nadir). Group comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test or Mann-Whitney U test. Multivariable linear regression was used to analyze the association between DISE snoring phenotypes and PSG metrics. Results: Among 175 children, 108 were boys (61.7%), the mean age was (6.9±1.9) years, and DISE documented snoring in 136(77.7%). In the PSG subgroup, median OAHI [interquartile range] across snoring grades 0, 1, and 2 was 3.6(2.2, 6.4), 5.8(3.0, 10.5), and 19.1(9.4, 45.6) events/h, respectively (H=14.43, P<0.001); corresponding SpO₂ nadirs were 91.5%(89.0%, 94.0%), 93.0%(89.0%, 94.5%), and 84.0%(80.0%, 92.0%) (H=9.90, P=0.007). After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), snoring intensity remained independently associated with OAHI (β=0.45, P=0.010); each one-grade increase corresponded to a 56.8% increase in (OAHI+1) (95%CI 11.3%-120.9%). Conclusions: Snoring intensity during preoperative DISE was independently associated with PSG-derived obstructive burden in children with OSA. Tonsillar/lateral pharyngeal wall involvement predominated, while epiglottic and tongue-related planes were also common.