title: Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and desogestrel: a call for caution: addendum to "C. Straus, H. Trang, M.H. Becquemin, P. Touraine, T. Similowski, Chemosensitivity recovery in Ondine's curse syndrome under treatment with desogestrel" [Respir. Physiol. Neurobiol. 171 (2010) 171-174].
abstract: Patients suffering from congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) depend on mechanical ventilation during sleep, from birth and throughout life. They lack CO₂-chemosensitivity. Hope has recently been raised by serendipitous observations of chemosensitivity recovery under treatment by desogestrel, a very potent progestin (Straus et al., 2010). Caution is however needed, because this effect could depend on dose, idiosyncrasies, or be transient. Desogestrel should not be prescribed to CCHS patients with a respiratory purpose until the results of a pending clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01243697) are available.
authors.affiliation: Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Service Central d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Respiratoires et Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale, F-75013 Paris, France. christian.straus@psl.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Straus
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Similowski
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000075202:Contraindications; D017135:Desogestrel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007040:Hypoventilation / Q000151:congenital* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D017135:Desogestrel