Association of acromegaly and central sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract

Acromegaly is usually characterized by the excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH) after the closure of epiphyseal plaques, resulting from functional pituitary adenomas. The most common manifestations of acromegaly are acral and soft tissue overgrowth, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart and respiratory failure. In patients, obstruction of the upper airway may develop due to enlargement of the tongue and thickening of the tissues of the larynx; consequently, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) occurs commonly in acromegaly. Previous studies have shown an association between acromegaly and central sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS). Some of these described patients described showed that an elevation in the GH level may cause a defect in the respiratory drive. Most systemic diseases seen in acromegaly require effective treatment. We believe that it is necessary to perform effective treatments by examining respiratory disorders in sleep.