This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

A Bird-like Face Syndrome

Giorgio Coccagna, MD; Grazia di Donato, MD; Paola Verucchi, MD; Fabio Cirignotta, MD; Magda Mantovani, MD; Elio Lugaresi, MD

Arch Neurol. 1976;33(11):769-776.

Abstract
• We describe a syndrome characterized by acquired micrognathia, hypersomnia, and periodic apneas during sleep. Six patients affected with the syndrome underwent nocturnal and diurnal polygraphic recordings that demonstrated that during sleep there is an uninterrupted succession of apneas, primarily the obstructive type, analogous to those observed in Pickwickian syndrome. Simultaneous recording of pulmonary and systemic arterial pressure during sleep and repeated blood gas analyses have shown that as soon as the apneas appear there is a decisive increase in pulmonary and systemic pressure and serious alveolar hypoventilation. The hemodynamic and ventilatory changes are even more intense during rapid eye movement sleep. Tracheostomy, performed on five of our patients, is the only treatment producing complete clinical remission of the syndrome.

Author Affiliations
From the Clinica delle Malattie Nervose e Mentali dell 'Universitá (Drs Coccagna, Cirignotta, di Donato, Mantovani, and Lugaresi), and the Servizio di Anestesia e Rianimazione del Policlinico S. Orsola (Dr Verucchi), Bologna, Italy.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication March 24, 1976.

Reprint requests to Clinica delle Malattie Nervose e Mentali, Via Ugo Foscolo 7, Bologna, Italy (Dr Coccagna).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

The Cardiopulmonary Failure of Sleep-Disordered Breathing
Hall
JAMA 1986;255:930-933.
ABSTRACT  

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Long-term Treatment of Sleep Apnea
Schmidt-Nowara
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1984;138:82-84.
ABSTRACT  

The Detection of Sleep Apnea in the Awake Patient: The 'Saw-Tooth' Sign
Sanders et al.
JAMA 1981;245:2414-2418.
ABSTRACT  

Hypersomnia-Sleep Apnea Due to Micrognathia: Reversal by Tracheoplasty
Weitzman et al.
Arch Neurol 1978;35:392-395.
ABSTRACT  

Recurrent Hypersomnia Secondary to Sleep Apnea
Spira and Scheinberg
Arch Neurol 1977;34:513-514.
ABSTRACT