An unusual cause of obstructive sleep apnoea presenting during pregnancy.
We describe a case of lingual thyroid (LT) with primary hypothyroidism, presenting during pregnancy and continuing beyond it with oropharyngeal obstructive symptoms and sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) of mixed type. Although SAS of a combined obstructive and central type should not be too surprising in a case of LT with hypothyroidism, we were unable to find such a documentation previously. Only four weeks of L-thyroxin treatment resulted in a dramatic improvement in dysphagia, disturbed phonation, haemoptysis, arterial desaturation, sleep apnoea and overall sleep efficiency, in conjunction with a regression in the size of the lingual mass. This case highlights the vagaries confronted in the management of such a case and focuses on efforts towards accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Taibah
K
K
Section of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed
M
M
Baessa
E
E
Saleem
M
M
Rifai
A
A
al-Arifi
A
A
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014059:Tongue
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes