Hypersomnia Caused by Upper Airway Obstructions; A New Syndrome in Otolaryngology

Abstract

A new cause for excessive sleepiness during the day is gradually emerging from 24-hour polygraph sleep studies: intermittent upper airway obstruction which is usually hypopharyngeal but can also be nasal in origin. Three such cases are described. One was cured by a permanent tracheotomy and another by a submucous resection.