Sleep-related adductor laryngeal dystonia causing sleep apnea: a sleep-related breathing disorder diagnosed with sleep endoscopy and treated with botulinum toxin.

Marchese-Ragona, Rosario; Vianello, Andrea; Restivo, Domenico A; Pittoni, Giovanni; Lionello, Marco; Martini, Alessandro; Manfredini, Daniele; Kotecha, Bhik et al. · Laryngoscope · 2013

case_report · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a chronic condition, characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep, which affects up to 5% of adults in the Western population. The muscle tone of the human body ordinarily relaxes during sleep, thus causing airway obstruction and leading to sleep apnea. We report a case of a 68-years old male in which dystonic closure of the larynx during sleep caused OSAS. The sleep endoscopy was crucial in establishing the diagnosis of laryngeal dystonia. A botulinum toxin injection in the vocal cord improved the OSAS. These findings define a novel sleep-related breathing disorder.

Medical subject headings