Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome induced by laryngeal lesions: Two cases

October 31, 2012 by Taha Tahir Bekci, MD; Mesut Tezer, MD; Nurdogan Ata, MD; Levent Emre, MD
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Abstract

We describe 2 cases of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) that were found to be caused by the presence of laryngeal masses. Both patients presented with a long-standing history of snoring, gasping for air while sleeping, excessive daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches. In both patients, the lesions were discovered by fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy. Patient 1, a 46-year-old man, declined surgery, and his lesions (and OSAS) resolved spontaneously in 4 months. Patient 2, a 39-year-old man, did undergo excision of his mass, and he also experienced an alleviation of OSAS.

IntroductionObstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction followed by arousal from sleep.1,2 Factors such as genetics, craniofacial structure, upper airway anatomy, fat deposition, and ethnicity may have an effect on the risk and severity of OSAS.3,4 We present 2 cases of laryngeal lesions that manifested as OSAS.

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