Deep cervical lymph node hypertrophy: a new paradigm in the understanding of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea

Exploring the Intricate Links between Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy, Mouth Breathing, and Craniofacial Development in Children with Sleep-Disordered Breathing: Unraveling the Vicious Cycle

Adenotonsillar hypertrophy has been well-acknowledged as the primary instigator of sleep-disordered breathing in the pediatric population. This condition spans a spectrum, from typical age-related growth that the immune system influences to persistent pathological hypertrophy. Reduction in air spaces, metabolic changes, neurobehavioral alterations, and chronic inflammation characterizes the latter form. As the go-to treatment, adenotonsillectomy has proven effective. However, it is not a guarantee for all patients, leaving us without reliable predictors of treatment success. Evidence suggests a connection between adenotonsillar hypertrophy and specific oral breathing patterns resulting from craniofacial development. This finding implies an intricate interdependence between the two, hinting at a self-sustaining vicious cycle that persists without proper intervention. The theories regarding the relationship between craniofacial conformation and sleep-disordered breathing have given rise to intriguing perspectives. In particular, the "gracilization theory" and the "gravitational hypothesis" have provided fascinating insights into the complex interaction between craniofacial conformation and SDB. Further investigation is crucial to unraveling the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms behind this relationship. It is also vital to explore the risk factors linked to adenotonsillectomy failure, study the long-term effects of adenotonsillar hypertrophy on craniofacial growth, and devise innovative diagnostic techniques to detect upper airway compromise early. Moreover, to assess their efficacy, we must delve into novel therapeutic approaches for cases that do not respond to traditional treatment, including positional therapy and orofacial myofunctional therapy. Though complex and unpredictable, these challenges promise to enhance our understanding and treatment of adenotonsillar hypertrophy and its related complications in children. By taking on this task, we can pave the way for more effective and targeted interventions, ultimately improving affected individuals' well-being and quality of life.

Sleep-disordered breathing and comorbidities: role of the upper airway and craniofacial skeleton

Obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), which includes primary snoring through to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), may cause compromise of respiratory gas exchange during sleep, related to transient upper airway narrowing disrupting ventilation, and causing oxyhemoglobin desaturation and poor sleep quality. SDB is common in chronic disorders and has significant implications for health. With prevalence rates globally increasing, this condition is causing a substantial burden on health care costs. Certain populations, including people with sickle cell disease (SCD), exhibit a greater prevalence of OSAS. A review of the literature provides the available normal polysomnography and oximetry data for reference and documents the structural upper airway differences between those with and without OSAS, as well as between ethnicities and disease states. There may be differences in craniofacial development due to atypical growth trajectories or extramedullary hematopoiesis in anemias such as SCD. Studies involving MRI of the upper airway illustrated that OSAS populations tend to have a greater amount of lymphoid tissue, smaller airways, and smaller lower facial skeletons from measurements of the mandible and linear mental spine to clivus. Understanding the potential relationship between these anatomical landmarks and OSAS could help to stratify treatments, guiding choice towards those which most effectively resolve the obstruction. OSAS is relatively common in SCD populations, with hypoxia as a key manifestation, and sequelae including increased risk of stroke. Combatting any structural defects with appropriate interventions could reduce hypoxic exposure and consequently reduce the risk of comorbidities in those with SDB, warranting early treatment interventions.

Persistent sleep disordered breathing after adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy: a long-term survey in a tertiary pediatric hospital

PURPOSE

To determine the long-term prevalence of persistent sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children, after adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy, and to assess the relationship between baseline characteristics and persistent nocturnal symptoms.

METHODS

The clinical charts of children operated for adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy in a tertiary hospital, between January 2000 and March 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. All patients who had signs of SDB prior to surgery received a six-question validated pediatric questionnaire, the Hierarchic Severity Clinical Scale (HSCS).

RESULTS

A total of 4000 children showing SDB prior to surgery were selected out of 5809 (68.9%); 1176 parents returned the questionnaire (29.4%), with a mean age at surgery of 4.3 ± 2.2 and age at survey of 9.6 ± 3.6. Complete resolution of SDB was subjectively reported in 798 patients (67.9%), and mild SDB was suspected in 301 children (25.6%, HSCS > 0 with chronic snoring), while 77 (6.5%) had a HSCS > 2.72, suggesting persistent obstructive sleep apnea. In non-syndromic children, male sex, history of sole adenoidectomy, or sole tonsillectomy, and early age of surgery (< 2 years-old) were associated with higher HSCS scores (p < 0.05). Moreover, symptoms had a tendency to decrease from 1 to 6 years, re-occur at age 7-8, and also after 13, with boys reporting more severe symptoms, at a younger age.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical excision of lymphoid tissue to treat SDB in childhood seems to be effective in the long term in two-thirds of subjects, while partial surgeries, specific age groups and early surgery are more likely to have persistent or recurrent symptoms.

Gluten-free diet may improve obstructive sleep apnea-related symptoms in children with celiac disease

Background

Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the major etiology of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Lymphatic hyperplasia is common to both OSA and celiac disease. We aimed to investigate the effect of a gluten-free diet on OSA symptoms in children with celiac disease.

Methods

Children with celiac disease aged 2–18 years were prospectively recruited before the initiation of a gluten-free diet. Children with negative celiac serology who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopies for other indications served as controls. All participants completed a validated OSA-related symptoms questionnaire and the pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ) at baseline and 6 months later.

Results

Thirty-four children with celiac disease (mean age 6.6 ± 3.5 years) and 24 controls (mean age 7.3 ± 4.6 years, P = 0.5) were recruited. There were no significant differences in gender, body mass index or season at recruitment between the two groups. The rate of positive PSQ scores was higher (more OSA-related symptoms) in the control group compared to the celiac group, both at recruitment and at the 6-month follow-up (33.3% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.046, and 16.7% vs. 0, P = 0.014, respectively). PSQ scores improved significantly in both groups at the 6-month follow-up (P < 0.001 for both). Improvement was significantly higher in the celiac group compared to controls (0.1 ± 0.09 vs.0.06 ± 0.06, respectively, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Children with celiac disease had fewer OSA-related symptoms than controls, but the degree of improvement following the initiation of a gluten-free diet was significantly higher. These findings suggest that a gluten-free diet may improve OSA-related symptoms in children with celiac disease.

Pediatric Sleep Apnea Syndrome: An Update

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may be central neurologic (<5%) or obstructive (>95%) in origin and is a relatively prevalent condition in children. It affects 1%-5% of children aged 2-8 years and is caused by a variety of different pathophysiologic abnormalities. Cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive comorbidities can occur in both children and adults when left untreated. It also can cause severe behavioral problems in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children be screened with an appropriate history and physical examination for symptoms and signs suggestive of OSAS. The diagnosis is primarily made clinically and confirmed by polysomnographic findings. Treatment depends on the child's age, underlying medical problems, polysomnography findings, and whether or not there is upper airway obstruction usually secondary to enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils, allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, acute and chronic sinusitis, and other upper airway pathology. If enlarged adenoid or tonsils or both conditions exist, an adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy, or adenotonsillectomy remains the treatment of choice. Pharmacotherapy of OSAS has shown some effect in children with mild symptoms. This paper reviews the prevalence, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of OSAS.

Diagnostic Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

We aim to review the diagnostic role of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Basic background about sleep apnea, MR anatomy of the pharyngeal airway, and MR imaging sequences applied in obstructive sleep apnea are discussed. Static and dynamic MR imaging is used in the assessment of patients with OSAS. Magnetic resonance imaging can detect the level, degree, and cause of obstruction in the upper airway that guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment. Imaging is used for prediction of treatment outcome and monitoring and follow-up of patients with OSAS after therapy.

Sleep disordered breathing risk in childhood cancer survivors: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is emerging as a significant health condition for children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate SDB symptoms in childhood cancer survivors and identify associations with quality of life (QOL) and psychological symptoms.

PROCEDURE

A sample of 62 survivors aged 8-18 years were recruited during routine survivorship visits. All subjects and their parents completed questionnaires to evaluate sleep, QOL and psychological symptoms; scales included were: Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, Sleep Disordered Breathing Subscale (PSQ-SDBS), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Continuous data were used for all scales and a threshold score of >0.33 on the PSA-SDBS was used to identify risk of SDB. The relationships between measures of sleep and independent variables were examined using Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression models for significant associations.

RESULTS

Of the 62 subjects enrolled, underlying diagnoses included 29 leukemias, 30 solid tumors and 3 non-malignant diseases. Nineteen percent of subjects were identified as having SDB risk on the PSQ-SDBS. The lowest mean PedsQL subscale score for parent and child ratings were school QOL; Parent mean 73(±SD 19) and Child mean 71(±SD 20). The severity of SDB per the PSQ was significantly associated with reduced total and school QOL which remained significant after adjusting for stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms suggestive of SDB are common in childhood cancer survivors with negative implications for overall quality of life and school performance.

Comparisons of thyroid hormone, intelligence, attention, and quality of life in children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome before and after endoscopic adenoidectomy

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in thyroid hormone, intelligence, attention, and quality of life (QoL) of children with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) before and after endoscopic adenoidectomy. Method. A total of 35 OSAHS children (21 males and 14 females with a mean age of 6.81 ± 1.08 years) were included in this study for analyzing the levels of thyroid hormone, intelligence, attention, and QoL. There were 22 children underwent endoscopic adenoidectomy with bilateral tonsillectomy (BT), while the other 13 children who underwent endoscopic adenoidectomy without bilateral tonsillectomy without BT. Results. Our results revealed no significant difference in serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in OSAHS children before and after endoscopic adenoidectomy (all P > 0.05). However, there were significant differences in full-scale intelligence quotient (FIQ) (92.45 ± 5.88 versus 106.23 ± 7.39, P < 0.001), verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) (94.17 ± 15.01 versus 103.91 ± 9.74, P = 0.006), and performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) (94.12 ± 11.04 versus 104.31 ± 10.05, P = 0.001), attention (98.48 ± 8.74 versus 106.87 ± 8.58, P < 0.001), and total OSA-18 scores (87.62 ± 17.15 versus 46.61 ± 10.15, P < 0.001) between before and after endoscopic adenoidectomy in OSAHS children. Conclusion. Our findings provided evidence that the intelligence, attention, and QoL of OSAHS children may be significantly improved after endoscopic adenoidectomy.

Obstructive sleep apnea in children: a critical update

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a highly prevalent disorder caused by a conglomeration of complex pathophysiological processes, leading to recurrent upper airway dysfunction during sleep. The clinical relevance of OSA resides in its association with significant morbidities that affect the cardiovascular, neurocognitive, and metabolic systems. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reiterated its recommendations that children with symptoms and signs suggestive of OSA should be investigated with polysomnography (PSG), and treated accordingly. However, treatment decisions should not only be guided by PSG results, but should also integrate the magnitude of symptoms and the presence or absence of risk factors and signs of OSA morbidity. The first-line therapy in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy is adenotonsillectomy, although there is increasing evidence that medical therapy, in the form of intranasal steroids or montelukast, may be considered in mild OSA. In this review, we delineate the major concepts regarding the pathophysiology of OSA, its morbidity, diagnosis, and treatment.