Unilateral hemidiaphragm weakness is associated with positional hypoxemia in REM sleep.
BACKGROUND
Patients with unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis (UDP) have been reported to have varied respiratory symptoms and often reduced lung function. We sought to describe the polysomnographic respiratory characteristics in patients with UDP without obstructive sleep apnea.


METHODS
We prospectively collected 5 cases with clinical investigation regarding symptoms, lung function, and nocturnal polysomnography. The respiratory sleep characteristics were analyzed with standardized scoring of respiratory events in 30-sec epochs and comparison according to sleep-wake stages and body position with respect to oximetry. The cases were compared to 5 controls matched for age, gender, and body mass index.


RESULTS
Three of 5 patients had significant awake lung restriction with a mean (range) forced vital capacity of 1.89 (1.48-2.24) liters, 72% (45% to 102%) predicted. All had REM sleep with few apneas and episodes of prolonged hypopneas characterized by important desaturation noted on oximetry. These desaturations were greatest during REM sleep when the patients slept supine with a mean (SD) saturation of 90.8% (4.5%) and minimum of 64% or on the side unaffected by UDP with a mean saturation of 87.8% (5.3%) and minimum of 67% (p < 0.0001 compared to same positions awake). Other sleep stages had few, if any significant desaturations and these events rarely occurred when the patient slept in the supine position. Saturation was lower in all sleep-wake stages and sleep positions compared to controls (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSION
Patients with UDP demonstrate position-dependent hypopneas in REM sleep with frequent desaturations.
['Baltzan|Marcel A|MA|', 'Scott|Adrienne S|AS|', 'Wolkove|Norman|N|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D003964:Diaphragm D005260:Female D006801:Humans D000860:Hypoxia D008297:Male D018908:Muscle Weakness D010092:Oximetry D017286:Polysomnography D011187:Posture D012133:Respiratory Paralysis D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes D012895:Sleep, REM D014797:Vital Capacity
hypoxemia sleep Unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis polysomnography diaphragmatic disorders sleep disordered breathing