Sleep-related laryngeal obstruction presenting as snoring or sleep apnea.
The difference between snoring (with or without sleep apnea) and laryngeal stridor resulting from laryngeal dysfunction may not be readily apparent. Two cases of Shy-Drager syndrome and one undiagnosed case in which laryngeal dysfunction was exacerbated by sleep are reported. Such dysfunction might create life-threatening situations for which emergency tracheostomy should be considered. The importance of differentiating stridor from snoring is discussed.
Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY.
N B
NB
Kavey
J
J
Whyte
A
A
Blitzer
S
S
Gidro-Frank
D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007826:Laryngismus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D012791:Shy-Drager Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012890:Sleep; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012913:Snoring / Q000209:etiology*; D014139:Tracheostomy; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery