Enlargement of the lateral pharyngeal fat pad space in pigs increases upper airway resistance. Winter, W. Christopher, Tom Gampper, Spencer B. Gay, Paul M. Suratt,. From the Departments of Internal Medicine, Plastic Surgery and Radiology, University of Virginia Medical Center
APStracts 2:0211A, 1995.
Since the upper airway is partially enclosed in a rigid boundary, enlargement of soft tissue structures within this boundary could narrow the airway. The purpose of this study was to determine whether enlargement of the soft tissue space in the region of the lateral pharyngeal fat pad would increase pharyngeal resistance and narrow the retropalateal upper airway. In 5 young male anesthetized pigs we inserted balloon occlusion catheters in the lateral pharyngeal fat pad under computerized tomographic scan guidance. We measured pharyngeal resistance with a pharyngeal catheter and a tightly fitting face mask before and after inflation of the balloons. We also measured pharyngeal airway cross-sectional area before and after inflation of the balloons. In all pigs, balloon inflation significantly increased pharyngeal resistance and significantly decreased the area of the retropalateal airway. We conclude that enlargement of the soft tissue space in the region of the lateral pharyngeal fatpad increases pharyngeal resistance and narrows the retropalateal airway in anesthetized pigs. 

Received 18 November 1994; accepted in final form 10 April 1995.
APS Manuscript Number A1182-4.
Article publication pending Journal of Applied Physiology.
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 30 May 1995.