A Comparison of Drug‐Induced Sleep Endoscopy Findings in Infants and Toddlers

• Published in: Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery Vol. 171; no. 3; pp. 888 - 893
• Main Authors: Ma, Alison C., Rosi‐Schumacher, Mattie, DiNardo, Lauren A., Corbin, Alexandra F., Carr, Michele M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-09-2024
• Subjects: airway obstruction; drug‐induced sleep endoscopy; pediatric obstructive sleep apnea; pediatric otolaryngology; airway obstruction; drug‐induced sleep endoscopy; pediatric otolaryngology; pediatric obstructive sleep apnea
• ISSN: 0194-5998; 1097-6817; 1097-6817
• DOI: 10.1002/ohn.810

Objective
To compare patterns of obstruction in infants and toddlers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by analyzing drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) examinations.
Study Design
Retrospective chart review.
Setting
An academic tertiary care pediatric hospital at a single institution.
Methods
Children aged ≤3 years who underwent DISE with propofol titration from 2020 to 2022 were included in the study. Data extracted included age, body mass index, comorbidities, and polysomnography parameters. The sites of anatomic obstruction during DISE were recorded using a validated 10‐site scoring system.
Results
A total of 86 children underwent DISE, including 15 infants (<1 year) and 71 toddlers (>1≤3 years). Sixty‐two percent were male and 37% were female. The mean age of the infant group was 9.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.92, 11.28 months), and the mean age of the toddler group was 2.3 years (95% CI: 2.06, 2.50 years). The mean total number of sites of obstruction was not significantly different between infants (N = 2.5) and toddlers (N = 3.2, P = .086). The most common subsite of significant obstruction in both infants and toddlers was the aryepiglottic folds (46.7% and 36.8%, respectively; P = .578). The sites of obstruction and frequency of their occurrence were not significantly different between the 2 groups.
Conclusion
Multisite airway obstruction is common among children with OSA, especially at the epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds, and tongue base. There is no difference in sites of obstruction and their frequency between toddlers and infants.