Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
College/Unit
School of Medicine
Department/Program/Center
Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
Abstract
Objective. To demonstrate lateral pharyngeal wall collapse and increased apnea-hypopnea index in a child posttonsillectomy. Background. Some children have worsening of their sleep symptoms after tonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea. This case report demonstrates an open airway on drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in a child with tonsillar hypertrophy followed by more pronounced airway obstruction related to lateral pharyngeal wall collapse after tonsillectomy. Case Presentation. A 7-year- old boy presented with obstructive sleep apnea and underwent workup with DISE. Following adenotonsillectomy and subsequent lingual tonsillectomy with epiglottopexy, the patient’s sleep apnea symptoms and polysomnogram results worsened. Subsequent DISE showed a more narrowed oropharyngeal airway space as compared to his preoperative DISE. Discussion. Palatine tonsillar tissue may splint open the airway and prevent airway obstruction in a subset of pediatric patients. Further clinical studies are necessary to determine which children experience this phenomenon. Clinical examination using DISE can be useful in making clinical decisions prior to tonsillectomy.
Digital Commons Citation
Zalzal, Habib G. and Coutras, Steven, "Palatine Tonsil Stenting of the Airway as Determined by Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy" (2018). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 1888.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/1888
Source Citation
Zalzal, H. G., & Coutras, S. (2018). Palatine Tonsil Stenting of the Airway as Determined by Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy. Case Reports in Otolaryngology, 2018, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2614143
Comments
Copyright © 2018 Habib G. Zalzal and Steven Coutras. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.