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An unusual cause of obstructive sleep apnoea presenting during pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Khalid Taibah ,
Mohammad Ahmed ,
Ebtessam Baessa ,
Muhammad Saleem ,
Ayman Rifai  and
Abdullah Al-Arifi
Khalid Taibah
Affiliation:
Section of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Ahmed*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ebtessam Baessa
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad Saleem
Affiliation:
Section of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ayman Rifai
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah Al-Arifi
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
*
Address for correspondence: Mohammed Ahmed, M.D., F.A.C.P, F.A.C.E., Consultant Endocrinologist, Department of Medicine (MBC-46), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, P.O. Box 3354, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia. Fax: 966-1 442 7499
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

Lingual thyroidSleep apnoea syndromePregnancyHypothyroidism
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 112 , Issue 12 , December 1998 , pp. 1189 - 1191
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1998

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