Achondroplasia and obstructive sleep apnea: correction of apnea and abnormal sleep-entrained growth hormone release by tracheostomy.
Severe obstructive sleep apnea in a patient with achondroplasia syndrome was found to result in a definitive deficiency of overnight growth hormone secretion related to absence of slow-wave sleep. Resolution of the apnea by tracheostomy resulted in normalization of growth hormone release and normal growth rates postoperatively. Sleep-related growth hormone deficiency may contribute to the short stature so often seen in a variety of craniofacial syndromes. Furthermore, this short stature may be reversible.
D000130:Achondroplasia / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014140:Tracheotomy
D013006:Growth Hormone