Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for obstructive sleep apnea in sickle cell anemia.

ABSTRACT

Objective. To evaluate the effects of Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy (T&A) on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) secondary to Upper Airway Obstruction (UAO) in children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). Methods. Twenty eight children with SCD and history of snoring, with or without adeno tonsillar hypertrophy, were evaluated for UAO and OSA. Results. Eight children were confirmed to have OSA by multichannel polysomnography and underwent T&A. Follow up examination showed symptomatic clinical and objective improvement in sleep study parameters in OSA. Conclusions. T&A appears to be a safe, effective option to treat selected patients with OSA due to UAO in SCD children.