Severity of Sleep Apnea and COVID-19 Illness.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the relationship between severity of sleep apnea and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalization and severe illness. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York. METHODS: The data set consisted of adult patients with an active diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in the past 2 years and a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 quantitative polymerase chain reaction test at our institution between March 16, 2020, and May 26, 2020. Sleep apnea severity and continuous positive airway pressure compliance data were abstracted from the electronic medical record. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision was used to classify comorbidities. RESULTS: A total of 461 patients with sleep apnea tested positive for COVID-19, of whom 149 were excluded for missing data in the electronic medical record. Patients with moderate and severe sleep apnea had higher rates of COVID-19 hospitalization compared to those with mild sleep apnea (P = .003). This association was reduced when accounting for confounders, most notably the Charlson Comorbidity Index, a measure of comorbid illness burden. Moderate and severe sleep apnea were associated with increased Charlson Comorbidity Indices, compared to mild sleep apnea (P = .01). Sleep apnea severity was not associated with a composite outcome of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and death. CONCLUSION: Sleep apnea severity was associated with the Charlson Comorbidity Index and may be a risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization. We found no evidence that sleep apnea severity among hospitalized patients was associated with a composite outcome of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit admission, and death.

Gravitational forces, negative pressure and facial structure in the genesis of airway dysfunction during sleep: a review of the paradigm.

The recent and distant literature has extensive discussion of how sleep apnea, adeno-tonsillar growth, and facial structural deformity are related. Conventionally, the order of cause and effect is as follows: (1) Inflammatory/infectious process→tonsillar/adenoid tissue growth→(2) airway obstruction and mouth breathing/Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)→(3) altered facial structure (adenoid facies). Using this same reasoning, adenotonsillectomy is the first line of treatment in the prevention of structural abnormalities. However, through a lifetime of clinical research Christian Guilleminault and his colleagues have challenged this paradigm. Through multiple articles and studies, Guilleminault et al., teach that even slight (subclinical) facial structure/muscle tone variations may be the inciting event triggering mouth-breathing and the eventual adenotonsillar growth in most patients. Essentially, this is the reverse of the conventional paradigms. Initial treatments therefore shift from simplified removal of inflammatory tissue to limiting mouth-breathing via musculo-skeletal modification. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and analyze the recent (and distant) relevant literature to provide support for, and provide a potential anatomic mechanism for Guilleminault et al.'s paradigm-questioning clinical observations.

Patterns of Upper Airway Obstruction on Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy in Patients with Sleep-Disordered Breathing with AHI <5.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of upper airway obstruction in patients with sleep-disordered breathing with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) <5 using drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary care center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Inclusion of patients with sleep-disordered breathing with AHI <5 on polysomnography who underwent DISE. Patients <18 years of age were excluded. DISE findings were reported with the VOTEL classification system: the level of collapse was described as occurring at the velum, oropharynx, tongue base, epiglottis, and the lingual tonsils. The degree of collapse was reported as complete, partial, or none. The pattern of the obstruction was described as anteroposterior, lateral, or concentric when applicable. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients with sleep-disordered breathing with AHI <5 underwent DISE. Ages ranged from 19 to 65 years. DISE was performed alone in 7% (n = 4) of patients and in conjunction with surgery in 93% (n = 50) of patients. The velum was the most frequent site of upper airway obstruction (85%, n = 46), followed by base of tongue (63%, n = 34), epiglottis (39%, n = 21), lingual tonsils (35%, n = 19), and oropharynx (31%, n = 17). Eighty-three percent (n = 45) of patients had multiple levels of upper airway obstruction, and 15% (n = 8) had a single level of upper airway obstruction. CONCLUSION: Patients with sleep-disordered breathing with AHI <5 have significant upper airway obstruction as seen on DISE. DISE findings indicate that a majority of these patients have multiple levels of upper airway obstruction, which can lead to significant symptoms.

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation improves obstructive sleep apnea: 12-month outcomes.

Reduced upper airway muscle activity during sleep is a key contributor to obstructive sleep apnea pathogenesis. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation activates upper airway dilator muscles, including the genioglossus, and has the potential to reduce obstructive sleep apnea severity. The objective of this study was to examine the safety, feasibility and efficacy of a novel hypoglossal nerve stimulation system (HGNS; Apnex Medical, St Paul, MN, USA) in treating obstructive sleep apnea at 12 months following implantation. Thirty-one subjects (35% female, age 52.4 ± 9.4 years) with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and unable to tolerate positive airway pressure underwent surgical implantation and activation of the hypoglossal nerve stimulation system in a prospective single-arm interventional trial. Primary outcomes were changes in obstructive sleep apnea severity (apnea-hypopnea index, from in-laboratory polysomnogram) and sleep-related quality of life [Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ)]. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation was used on 86 ± 16% of nights for 5.4 ± 1.4 h per night. There was a significant improvement (P < 0.001) from baseline to 12 months in apnea-hypopnea index (45.4 ± 17.5 to 25.3 ± 20.6 events h(-1) ) and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire score (14.2 ± 2.0 to 17.0 ± 2.4), as well as other polysomnogram and symptom measures. Outcomes were stable compared with 6 months following implantation. Three serious device-related adverse events occurred: an infection requiring device removal; and two stimulation lead cuff dislodgements requiring replacement. There were no significant adverse events with onset later than 6 months following implantation. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation demonstrated favourable safety, feasibility and efficacy.

Eustachian tube foreign body undetected for 30 years: case report.

This case report describes the unexpected finding of a eustachian tube prosthesis placed 30 years earlier, after the patient had experienced years of chronic rhinorrhea.

Schwannoma of the true vocal fold: a rare diagnosis.

Schwannomas of the larynx are rare, benign, slowly growing tumors. When they do occur, they are most often isolated in the aryepiglottic folds or false vocal folds. When a tumor originates in the larynx, it typically causes hoarseness and a globus sensation. As the tumor expands, it may cause dyspnea, stridor, and possibly asphyxiation as a result of the mass effect. In this article, we report an unusual case of a schwannoma of the true vocal fold in a young woman.