Sleep Med Psychophysiol.  2004 Dec;11(2):106-109.

A Case of Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

• Shin HB
• Lee YJ
• Jeong DU

Abstract

Adenotonsillar hypertrophy is the leading cause of childhood obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in child-hood, however, can occur from various causes such as obesity or craniofacial abnormalities. Childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can be accompanied by enuresis, parasomnias and behavior problems. For patients with the symptoms of snoring and apnea, obstructive sleep apnea should be suspected and diagnosed properly. In addition, the evaluation of complications and proper treatment are indispensable. When the cause of childhood obstructive sleep apnea is adenotonsillar hypertrophy, symptoms can be improved by surgical methods. If the cause is other than adenotonsillar hypertrophy, such as obesity, it should be treated with other therapeutic modalities, like nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP), weight reduction and modification of life style. This paper reports a case of nCPAP used to manage severe sleep apnea when it was not resolved after adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy. Differential diagnosis of narcolepsy in a case with excessive daytime sleepiness and reflections on accompanying enuresis and parasomnia were also described.

Keyword

Sleep apnea syndrome; Child; Narcolepsy; Enuresis; Parasomnia; Somnambulis

MeSH Terms

Adenoidectomy
Apnea
Child
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Craniofacial Abnormalities
Diagnosis, Differential
Enuresis
Humans
Hypertrophy
Life Style
Narcolepsy
Obesity
Parasomnias
Sleep Apnea Syndromes
Sleep Apnea, Obstructive*
Snoring
Tonsillectomy
Weight Loss