Effective nasal CPAP therapy for heavy snoring and paradoxical respiration during sleep in a case of multiple system atrophy
Miyamoto, M.; Miyamoto, T.; Katayama, S.; Hirata, K.
Rinsho Shinkeigaku 38(12): 1059-1063
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-918X PMID: 10349349 Document Number: 492035
A 64-year-old man with multiple system atrophy complained of daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and snoring. Neurological examination revealed severe autonomic failure, mild cerebellar ataxia and akinesia. Daytime blood gas analysis showed respiratory acidosis with hypoxia and hypercapnia. MR imaging of the brain showed atrophy of the pons, cerebellum and bilateral frontal lobes. Although paralysis of the vocal cord abduction was not found by laryngoscopy during daytime examination, polysomnography (PSG) showed heavy snoring with paradoxical respiration associated with severe desaturation during sleep as well as reduced slow wave sleep and REM sleep. He was diagnosed as having sleep-related upper airway obstructive breathing disorder probably due to Gerhardt syndrome. Tracheostomy was considered, but we performed nasal CPAP therapy during sleep because this therapy is non-invasive and would not impair his daily life. After nasal CPAP therapy, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and snoring with desaturation improved, and PSG showed increased slow wave sleep. These results demonstrate that nasal CPAP therapy improves the quality of sleep and should be considered in patients with early stages of multiple system atrophy who exhibit sleep-related breathing disorders.