Sleep disordered breathing in children with achondroplasia.
BACKGROUND
Children with achondroplasia often have breathing problems, especially during sleep. The most important treatments are adenotonsillectomy (for treating upper obstruction) and/or neurosurgery (for resolving cervicomedullar junction stenosis).


METHODS
We reviewed the scientific literature on polysomnographic investigations which assessed the severity of respiratory disorders during sleep.


RESULTS
Recent findings have highlighted the importance of clinical investigations in patients with achondroplasia, differentiating between those that look for neurological patterns and those that look for respiratory problems during sleep. In particular, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and somatosensory evoked potentials are the main tools to evaluate necessary neurosurgery and over myelopathy, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of polysomnography enables clinicians to identify children with upper airway obstruction and to quantify disease severity; it is not suitable for MRI and/or neurosurgery considerations.
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy. marco.zaffanello@univr.it.|Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134, Verona, Italy. marco.zaffanello@univr.it.
Marco
M
Zaffanello
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Gaetano
G
Cantalupo
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giorgio
G
Piacentini
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Emma
E
Gasperi
Department of Pediatrics, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
Luana
L
Nosetti
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Paolo
P
Cavarzere
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Diego Alberto
DA
Ramaroli
NDMC Medical College and Hindurao Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Aliza
A
Mittal
Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Franco
F
Antoniazzi
D000130:Achondroplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000233:Adenoidectomy / Q000379:methods; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
achondroplasia; children; polysomnography; sleep disordered breathing; upper respiratory tract obstruction