Childhood Sleep Apnea Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Mary E Cataletto, MD; Chief Editor: Michael R Bye, MD   more...
 
Updated: May 14, 2012
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) must be differentiated from simple snoring, which is a vibratory inspiratory noise that is usually not accompanied by oxygen desaturation, hypercapnia, or sleep disruption. Overnight polysomnography can be performed to differentiate pronounced snoring from true obstructive sleep apnea in the pediatric age group.

Go to Upper Airway Evaluation in Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea for complete information on this topic.

Daytime somnolence

Daytime somnolence is a common complaint among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea. For teens and adults, this may be the presenting concern that brings them to medical attention. However, keep in mind that not all children with excessive daytime somnolence have obstructive sleep apnea. Sleepiness during the day may be due to numerous factors in addition to sleep apnea. Many children are sleepy during the day simply because their parents do not have a clear idea as to how much sleep a child actually requires.

Chaotic sleep schedules with inconsistent bedtimes and rise times and with limited time allowed for sleep are major causes of daytime sleepiness and lassitude. Any evaluation for suspected sleep apnea must include a careful history with inquiries about sleep times, bedtime routines, and a description of the sleeping environment. Parents should be asked to complete a sleep diary for 1-2 weeks to evaluate whether a child is sleeping enough.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disease characterized by irresistible sleeping attacks that occur intermittently throughout the day. It is included in the differential diagnosis of excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with narcolepsy are tired throughout the day; thus, the disorder can be confused with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. A history of episodic sleep-onset paralysis, hypnagogic (sleep-onset) hallucinations, or daytime memory lapses with automatic behaviors may help differentiate between narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep paralysis is a frightening experience that lasts from a few seconds to several minutes, during which an individual can breathe and move the eyes but otherwise cannot speak or move.

Hypnagogic hallucinations

Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid lifelike dreams that occur just as one begins to fall asleep. These hallucinations often involve an awareness of another person or an animal in the room, bright colors, or unusual shapes. Often, other senses are involved during the experience, including touch, smell, and hearing. Older patients with narcolepsy may experience cataplexy, or the sudden brief loss of muscular tone without loss of consciousness. Multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) following overnight polysomnography is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of narcolepsy and differentiate this from obstructive sleep apnea.

Nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux

Nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux may result in nocturnal restlessness, choking episodes during sleep, frequent awakenings, and labored breathing that resemble symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Other disorders

Periodic limb movement disorder, nocturnal seizures, rhythmic movement disorder, and various parasomnias can be differentiated from obstructive sleep apnea on the basis of polysomnography.

Differentials

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Mary E Cataletto, MD  Director of Children's Sleep Services, Winthrop Sleep Disorders Center; Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Mary E Cataletto, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Chest Physicians

Disclosure: Shering Plough Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Consulting

Coauthor(s)

Andrew J Lipton, MD, MPH and TM  Staff Pediatric Pulmonologist, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Andrew J Lipton, MD, MPH and TM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Timothy D Murphy, MD  Pediatric Pulmonologist, Consulting and Attending Staff, Division of Pulmonology, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Tacoma, Washington

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Susanna A McColley, MD  Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine; Director of Cystic Fibrosis Center, Head, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Children's Memorial Medical Center of Chicago

Susanna A McColley, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, American Sleep Disorders Association, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Genentech Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Genentech Honoraria Consulting; Boston Scientific Consulting fee Consulting; Gilead Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Caremark Consulting fee Consulting; Vertex Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Mary L Windle, PharmD  Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Heidi Connolly, MD  Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; Director, Pediatric Sleep Medicine Services, Strong Sleep Disorders Center

Heidi Connolly, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Thoracic Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mary E Cataletto, MD  Director of Children's Sleep Services, Winthrop Sleep Disorders Center; Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Mary E Cataletto, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Chest Physicians

Disclosure: Shering Plough Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Michael R Bye, MD  Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Attending Physician, Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center

Michael R Bye, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors Michael Steffan, MD, and David Gozal, MD,to the development and writing of the source articles.

References

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Palate appearance following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery.
Example of an obstructive apnea and an obstructive hypopnea recorded during polysomnography.
Medical complications associated with obstructive sleep apnea in children.
Compressed overnight polysomnography tracing of a 6-year-old boy who snores, showing multiple events of obstructive apnea (green-shaded areas) associated with oxyhemoglobin desaturation (yellow-shaded areas) and EEG arousals (red-shaded areas).
Parameters monitored during an overnight pediatric sleep study.
Normal parameters for sleep gas exchange and gas exchange in children.
 
 
 
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