BACKGROUND Craniofacial abnormalities which predispose to pharyngeal obstruction can be detected by cephalometry. The aim of the present study was to compare cephalometric findings of the patients with sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) with those of healthy population. RESULTS The SAS patients (23 females, 96 males) and normal population (36 females, 50 males) were examined by cephalometry. In the group of females with SAS following significant differences were observed: elongation of the soft palate (p < 0.001), narrowing pharyngeal airway space (p < 0.001), mandibular retrognathism (p < 0.05), micrognathism of the mandible (p < 0.001), dorsocaudal rotation of the mandible (p < 0.01), increased lower gonion angle (p < 0.001) and the articular angle (p < 0.05), increased anterior facial height (p < 0.05), narrowing the depth of bony framework of the nasopharynx (p < 0.001), decreased depth of the upper face (p < 0.01) and decreased length of the cranial base (p < 0.01). In the group of males with SAS, following significant differences were observed: elongation of the soft palate (p < 0.001), narrowing pharyngeal airway space (p < 0.001), decreased depth of the maxilla (p < 0.001), decreased angle of the cranial base (p < 0.01), decrease saddle angle (p < 0.01), decreased depth of the upper face (p < 0.01), increased lower gonion angle (p < 0.01), increased articular angle (p < 0.001) and increased anterior and posterior facial height (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS There are important differences in orofacial skeleton and soft tissue of the nasopharynx measured by cephalometry in the patients with sleep apnoea compared to normal population.