Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2004 Jun;11(1):50-54.

A case of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in childhood

• Lee SH
• Kwon SY
• Lee SH
• Chang J
• Kim JK
• Shin C

Abstract

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can occur due to various etiologies in children. In otherwise healthy children, adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the leading cause of childhood obstuctive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea caused by adenotonsillar hypertrophy can lead to a variety of symptoms and sequelae such as behavioral disturbance, enuresis, failure to thrive, developmental delay, cor pulmonale, and hypertension. So if obstructive sleep apnea is clinically suspected, proper treatment should be administered to the patient after diagnostic examinations. More than 80% improvement is seen in symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea caused by adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. However, when it is impossible to treat the patient using surgical methods or residual symptoms remained after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, additional treatments such as weight control, sleep position change, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), should be considered. This paper reports a case using weight control and Auto-PAP to control mild sleep apnea and snoring, which in long-term follow-up were not resolved after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Keyword

Sleep apnea syndrome; Child; Tonsil; Adenoids; Continuous positive airway

MeSH Terms

Adenoidectomy
Adenoids
Child
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Enuresis
Failure to Thrive
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hypertension
Hypertrophy
Palatine Tonsil
Pulmonary Heart Disease
Sleep Apnea Syndromes
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*
Snoring
Tonsillectomy