Sleep Endoscopy Patterns in Six Adults With Trisomy 21 and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent amongst individuals with Trisomy 21 (T21). This case series describes the results of drug-induced sleep endoscopy of six adult patients with OSA and T21 and compares the patterns of collapse to those observed in adults without T21. Predominantly hypopharyngeal airway collapse was found in four of the six (66.7%) subjects with T21, a much higher proportion than in the general population. This finding may implicate anatomic differences underlying the increased prevalence of OSA in individuals with T21 and may have treatment implications.

Long‐Term Outcomes in Patients With Trisomy 21 and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

“…Prevalence rates of OSA in this population vary in the literature, ranging between 45% and 95%, due to a combination of factors, including the use of nonstandardized scoring criteria for respiratory events, limited sample sizes, and variability in testing methodology including home sleep studies, cardiorespiratory polygraphy, and formal laboratory polysomnography 5‐10 . Sleep endoscopy findings in patients with T21 have shown worsened multilevel collapse when compared to patients without T21, suggesting that muscle hypotonia and craniofacial abnormalities play a large role in the pathogenesis of OSA in this population 11,12 …”