Sleep apnea in patients receiving growth hormone.
Among 145 patients treated with recombinant human growth hormone (GH), four developed sleep apnea (two obstructive, two mixed) associated with tonsillar and adenoidal hypertrophy in three. These four patients had no local risk factors predisposing to upper airway obstruction (i.e., frequent pharyngitis or sinusitis). Clinical and/or polysomnographic features of sleep apnea improved following cessation of GH therapy in one patient, and following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in all patients. The present observations indicate that, albeit rarely, obstructive and/or central sleep apnea may occur in children treated with GH. Polysomnography should be considered if symptoms of snoring, interrupted sleep, daytime somnolence-particularly if associated with tonsillar hypertrophy-appear in children during GH therapy.
Gerard
J M
JM
Department of Pediatrics, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center and Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, Missouri 63104, USA.
Garibaldi
L
L
Myers
S E
SE
Aceto
T
T
Kotagal
S
S
Gibbons
V P
VP
Stith
J
J
Weber
C
C
D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000234:Adenoids / Q000473:pathology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000601:surgery; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000473:pathology; D017286:Polysomnography; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D014068:Tonsillectomy
D019382:Human Growth Hormone