Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Atopy in Children

Abstract

RATIONALE: The association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and atopy in children has been described in the literature, but the difference in severity of OSAS among atopic and nonatopic children with OSAS has not been investigated.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients seen in a pediatric pulmonology clinic between 1996 and 2004 who were diagnosed with OSAS by positive overnight polysomnography. We examined the prevalence of atopic illnesses and compared the demographics and polysomnogram data between atopic and nonatopic patients.RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 35 patients with OSAS were atopic (80%), which was significantly greater than reported in the general population (30%, p<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of atopy by gender in the atopic and nonatopic patients (75% male vs. 85.7% male, respectively, p=0.66). The mean age of atopic patients was significantly higher than nonatopic patients (6.3 yrs vs. 3.0 yrs, p<0.001). The BMIs of atopic patients tended to be higher than nonatopic patients (21.6 vs. 16.4, p=0.047). RDI, longest apnea/hypopnea, lowest oxygen saturation, arousal index, and sleep efficiency were comparable.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of atopy in OSAS patients is significantly higher than in the general population. Atopic patients with OSAS tend to be older than nonatopic patients and have higher BMIs. There was no difference in the severity of OSAS, but this may have been due to the small sample size of nonatopic patients. RATIONALE: The association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and atopy in children has been described in the literature, but the difference in severity of OSAS among atopic and nonatopic children with OSAS has not been investigated. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients seen in a pediatric pulmonology clinic between 1996 and 2004 who were diagnosed with OSAS by positive overnight polysomnography. We examined the prevalence of atopic illnesses and compared the demographics and polysomnogram data between atopic and nonatopic patients. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 35 patients with OSAS were atopic (80%), which was significantly greater than reported in the general population (30%, p<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of atopy by gender in the atopic and nonatopic patients (75% male vs. 85.7% male, respectively, p=0.66). The mean age of atopic patients was significantly higher than nonatopic patients (6.3 yrs vs. 3.0 yrs, p<0.001). The BMIs of atopic patients tended to be higher than nonatopic patients (21.6 vs. 16.4, p=0.047). RDI, longest apnea/hypopnea, lowest oxygen saturation, arousal index, and sleep efficiency were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of atopy in OSAS patients is significantly higher than in the general population. Atopic patients with OSAS tend to be older than nonatopic patients and have higher BMIs. There was no difference in the severity of OSAS, but this may have been due to the small sample size of nonatopic patients.