Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES: Four well-established predictors of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) risk are body mass index, age, sex, and neck circumference. We have previously reported cheeks appearance as an OSA predictor, which may represent a combination of such predictors in a single, readily available feature. This study sought to answer the question: Is cheeks appearance an OSA risk predictor? METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study based on STARD (standards for reporting diagnostic accuracy studies). Patients undergoing polysomnography to investigate sleep complaints at a sleep clinic affiliated with a university hospital were assessed using cheeks appearance scored 0-3 for volume and 0-3 for flaccidity to create the Cheeks Appearance for Sleep Apnea (CASA) score ranging from 0 to 6. Appearance was judged by 3 blinded and independent evaluators. RESULTS: Among 265 patients evaluated, 248 were included. Fifty-seven patients had a CASA score of 0 and 191 had a CASA score between 1 and 6. Polysomnography diagnosed 177 of the individuals with OSA; of these, 167 had an altered CASA score. Sensitivity was 87%, specificity was 82%, positive-predictive value was 94%, negative-predictive value was 66%, and accuracy was 86%. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that combining volume and flaccidity of cheeks appearance in a single index may constitute a reliable OSA predictor. CASA score is a novel predictor of OSA with internal validity in a sleep laboratory adult population. Our findings support further studies to confirm the external validity of this practical diagnostic tool. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Cheeks Appearance as a Novel Predictor of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The CASA Score Study (CASA); URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04980586; Identifier: NCT04980586. CITATION: Prikladnicki A, Gomes E, Sousa LCCR, Gonçalves SC, Martinez D. Cheeks appearance as a novel predictor of obstructive sleep apnea: the CASA score study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):879-885.