Apnea causes

Apnea Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Apnea from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
Chest X Ray
CT
MRI
Ultrasound
Other Imaging Findings
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Primary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Apnea causes On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Apnea causes All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Apnea causes
CDC on Apnea causes
Apnea causes in the news
Blogs on Apnea causes
Directions to Hospitals Treating Apnea
Risk calculators and risk factors for Apnea causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: : Marcelo R. Zacarkim, M.D. [2]; Ogheneochuko Ajari, MB.BS, MS [3]

Causes

Common Causes

• Achondroplasia
• Adenotonsillar hypertrophy
• Apnea of prematurity
• Arnold-Chiari malformation
• Central sleep apnea
• Obesity
• Upper airway obstruction

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	1q21.1 deletion, acromegaly, Arnold-Chiari malformation, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , arrythmias, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, cyanotic congenital heart disease, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, Down syndrome, end stage renal disease, floppy eyelid syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, heart failure, Hurler syndrome, hypothyroidism, Klippel-Feil syndrome, Marfan syndrome, myasthenia gravis, myocardial infarction, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, Pickwickian syndrome, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary edema,pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, secondary hypertension, shock, sleep deprivation, toxidrome, trisomy 13, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Chemical/Poisoning	Ammonium chloride, camphor, chloral hydrate, cyanide, eucalyptus oil poisoning, pepper spray, strychnine, tetramethylammonium hydroxide
Dental	Crouzon syndrome, mandibular hypoplasia, midfacial hypoplasia, narrow maxillary arch, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, osteopetrosis, Treacher Collins syndrome
Dermatologic	Acromegaly, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, floppy eyelid syndrome, Gaucher's disease, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, SADDAN
Drug Side Effect	Benzodiazepines, bupivacaine, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, general anesthetics, levobupivacaine, lidocaine, morphine, narcotic analgesics, oxymorphone, pancuronium, PGE1, propofol, pyrimidifen, ropivacaine, sodium thiopental, trazodone, use of sedatives (sleeping pills)
Ear Nose Throat	Achondroplasia, adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, angina tonsillaris, Apert syndrome, auriculo-condylar syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, campomelic syndrome, choanal stenosis, collapse of aryepiglottic folds, Crouzon syndrome, deviated septum, Down syndrome, edema of epiglottis, elongated and/or thickened palate and uvula, empty nose syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, Hunter syndrome, Hurler syndrome, Joubert syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome, lingual cyst, lingual tonsillar hypertrophy, lymphoma of tonsils, macroglossia, Marfan syndrome, micrognathia, nasoseptal obstruction, oropharyngeal papillomatosis, osteopetrosis, Pierre Robin sequence, rhinitis, septal dislocation, septal hematoma, tracheal rupture, Treacher Collins syndrome, turbinate hypertrophy
Endocrine	Acromegaly, Down syndrome, Hyperpituitarism, hypothyroidism, Joubert syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, testosterone deficiency
Environmental	Smoking,
Gastroenterologic	Aberrant subclavian artery abnormality, acromegaly, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Arnold-Chiari malformation, alcohol, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Brun's syndrome, chronic airway-digestive inflammatory disease (CAID), diabetic autonomic neuropathy, Down syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Gaucher's disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hunter syndrome, Hurler syndrome, hypothyroidism, Joubert syndrome, osteopetrosis, polyposis, pulmonary edema, toxidrome, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Genetic	1q21.1 deletion, Crouzon syndrome, Down's syndrome, Gaucher's disease, Genetics, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, Hunter syndrome, Hurler syndrome, Joubert syndrome, Marfan syndrome, osteopetrosis, Prader-Willi syndrome, Treacher Collins syndrome, trisomy 13, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Hematologic	Anemia of prematurity, Gaucher's disease, iron deficiency anemia, neonatal anemia, osteopetrosis, sickle cell disease
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	Botulism, Brain abscess, bronchiolitis, encephalitis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, pertussis, respiratory syncytial viral infection, septicemia,
Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic	Achondroplasia, an acutely angled skull base, Acromegaly, Apert syndrome, Arnold-Chiari malformation, Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , campomelic syndrome, chondrodystrophy, Crouzon syndrome, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, flail chest, Gaucher's disease,Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, head and neck burns, Hunter syndrome, hypertonia, hypothyroidism, hypotonia , Joubert syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome, lipoma of the neck, Marfan syndrome, myotonic dystrophy, osteopetrosis, Pickwickian syndrome, pulmonary edema, Rett syndrome, SADDAN, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injury, Treacher Collins syndrome, trisomy 13, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Neurologic	1q21.1 deletion, acromegaly, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , benign familial infantile convulsion, brain abscess, brain stem dysfunction, brain stem injury, brain tumor, Brun's syndrome, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, cerebral palsy, delayed sleep phase syndrome, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, down syndrome, encephalitis, excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, floppy eyelid syndrome, Gaucher's disease, glycine encephalopathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, head trauma, Hurler syndrome, hypertonia,hypotonia , increased intracranial pressure, Joubert syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome, late-onset spinal muscular atrophy, leukomalacia, Marfan syndrome, medullary hemorrhage, medullary infarction, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, myasthenia gravis, myotonic dystrophy, myotubular myopathy, near drowning, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, periodic limb movement disorder, Pickwickian syndrome, pontine hemorrhage, post-traumatic stress disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, prenatal asphyxia, REM sleep, restless legs syndrome, Rett syndrome, SADDAN, seizures, sleep deprivation, spinal cord injury, sudden infant death syndrome, toxidrome, transtentorial herniation, trisomy 13, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Nutritional/Metabolic	Achondroplasia, alcohol, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , body fat redistribution (BFR) syndrome, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, glycine encephalopathy, hypercapnia, hyperglycinemia , hypoventilation, iron deficiency anemia, neonatal anemia, obesity, organic acidemia, polycystic ovary syndrome, prenatal asphyxia, respiratory acidosis, septicemia, shock, Werdnig-Hoffman disease
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Polycystic ovary syndrome
Oncologic	1q21.1 deletion, Down syndrome, lymphoma of tonsils
Ophthalmologic	1q21.1 deletion, Arnold-Chiari malformation, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , Crouzon syndrome, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, Down syndrome, floppy eyelid syndrome, Gaucher's disease, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, Hurler syndrome, hypothyroidism, Joubert syndrome, leukomalacia, Marfan syndrome, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, osteopetrosis, secondary hypertension, Treacher Collins syndrome
Overdose/Toxicity	Barium, disopyramide toxicity,
Psychiatric	Down syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder,
Pulmonary	1q21.1 deletion, aberrant subclavian artery abnormality, achondroplasia, acromegaly, adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, adult respiratory distress syndrome, ammonium chloride, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an acutely angled skull base, anemia of prematurity, angina tonsillaris, Apert syndrome, apnea of prematurity, Arnold-Chiari malformation, aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency , arrythmias, asthma, ataxic respiration, atrial fibrillation, auriculo-condylar syndrome, barium, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, benign familial infantile convulsion, biot's respiration, body fat redistribution (BFR) syndrome, botulism, brain abscess, brain stem dysfunction, brain stem injury, brain tumor, bronchial rupture, bronchiolitis,bronchospasm, brun's syndrome, campomelic syndrome, cardiac arrest, central sleep apnea, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, cerebral palsy, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, choanal stenosis, chondrodystrophy, chronic airway-digestive inflammatory disease (CAID), chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, collapse of aryepiglottic folds, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, cyanotic congenital heart disease, delayed sleep phase syndrome, deviated septum, diabetic autonomic neuropathy, diffuse pneumonia, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, edema of epiglottis, elongated and/or thickened palate and uvula, encephalitis, end stage renal disease, flail chest, floppy eyelid syndrome, foreign body aspiration, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Gaucher's disease, glycine encephalopathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff syndrome, head trauma, hemothorax, hunter syndrome, hurler syndrome, hypercapnia, hyperglycinemia , hyperpituitarism, hypothyroidism, hypertonia, hypotonia , hypoventilation, increased intracranial pressure, infant respiratory distress syndrome, Joubert syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome, laryngomalacia, late-onset spinal muscular atrophy, leukomalacia, Marfan syndrome, meconium aspiration syndrome, medullary hemorrhage, medullary infarction, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, micrognathia, midfacial hypoplasia, mucus plug, myocardial infarction, myotonic dystrophy, myotubular myopathy, nasal congestion, near drowning, neonatal anemia, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, obesity, open chest wounds, organic acidemia, oropharyngeal papillomatosis, [[osteopetrosis],parenchymal lung disease, periodic limb movement disorder, pertussis, Pickwickian syndrome, Pierre Robin sequence, pneumothorax, polycystic ovary syndrome, polyposis, pontine hemorrhage, post-traumatic stress disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, prenatal asphyxia, pulmonary atresia, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, REM sleep, respiratory acidosis, respiratory syncytial viral infection, restless legs syndrome, Rett syndrome, rhinitis, right ventricular hypertrophy, SADDAN, secondary hypertension, seizures, septal dislocation, septal hematoma, septicemia, shock, sickle cell disease, sleep deprivation, smoking, spinal cord injury, sudden infant death syndrome, toxidrome, tracheal rupture, transtentorial herniation, Treacher Collins syndrome, trisomy 13, turbinate hypertrophy, upper airway obstruction, upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), vocal cord paralysis, Werdnig-Hoffman disease,
Renal/Electrolyte	1q21.1 deletion, end stage renal disease, Joubert syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, secondary hypertension, shock,
Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy	No underlying causes
Sexual	Down syndrome, Klippel-Feil syndrome
Trauma	Head trauma, near drowning, septal dislocation, septal hematoma, tracheal rupture,
Urologic	Diabetic autonomic neuropathy, Klippel-Feil syndrome, trisomy 13
Miscellaneous	Aging, breastfeeding, fatigue, maternal beta blocker use, near drowning, smoking, sudden infant death syndrome

Causes in Alphabetical Order

1q21.1 deletion Aberrant subclavian artery abnormality Achondroplasia Acromegaly Adenoid hypertrophy Adenotonsillar hypertrophy Adult respiratory distress syndrome Aging Alcohol Ammonium chloride Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis An acutely angled skull base Anemia of prematurity Angina tonsillaris Apert syndrome Apnea of prematurity Arnold-Chiari malformation Aromatic amino acid decarboxylase deficiency Arrhythmias Asthma Ataxic respiration Atrial fibrillation Auriculo-condylar syndrome Barium Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome Benign familial infantile convulsion Benzodiazepines Biot's respiration Body fat redistribution (BFR) syndrome Botulism Brain abscess Brain stem dysfunction Brain stem injury Brain tumor Breastfeeding Bronchial rupture Bronchiolitis Bronchospasm Brun's syndrome Bupivacaine Camphor Campomelic syndrome Cardiac arrest Central sleep apnea Cerebral hemorrhage Cerebral infarction Cerebral palsy Cheyne-Stokes respiration Chloral hydrate Chlordiazepoxide Choanal stenosis Chondrodystrophy Chronic airway-digestive inflammatory disease (CAID) Chronic bronchitis Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Collapse of aryepiglottic folds Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome Crouzon syndrome Cyanide Cyanotic congenital heart disease Delayed sleep phase syndrome Deviated septum Diabetic autonomic neuropathy Diazepam Diffuse pneumonia Disopyramide toxicity Down syndrome Duchenne muscular dystrophy Edema of epiglottis Elongated and/or thickened palate and uvula Empty nose syndrome Encephalitis End stage renal disease Eucalyptus oil poisoning Excessive daytime sleepiness Fatigue Flail chest Floppy eyelid syndrome Foreign body aspiration Gastroesophageal reflux disease Gaucher's disease Gaucher's disease General anesthetics Genetics Glycine encephalopathy Guillain-Barré syndrome Hallermann-Streiff syndrome Head and neck burns Head trauma Heart failure Hemothorax Hunter syndrome Hurler syndrome Hypercapnia Hyperglycinemia Hyperpituitarism Hypertonia Hypothyroidism Hypotonia Hypoventilation Increased intracranial pressure

Infant respiratory distress syndrome Iron deficiency anemia Joubert syndrome Klippel-Feil syndrome Laryngomalacia late-onset spinal muscular atrophy Leukomalacia Levobupivacaine Lidocaine Lingual cyst Lingual tonsillar hypertrophy Lipoma of the neck Lymphoma of tonsils Macroglossia Mandibular hypoplasia Marfan syndrome Maternal beta-blocker use (transfer across placenta) Meconium aspiration syndrome Medullary hemorrhage Medullary infarction Meningitis Meningoencephalitis Micrognathia Midfacial hypoplasia Morphine Mucus plug Myasthenia gravis Myocardial infarction Myotonic dystrophy Myotubular myopathy Narcotic analgesics Narrow maxillary arch Nasal congestion Nasoseptal obstruction Near drowning Neonatal anemia Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy Obesity Open chest wounds Organic acidemia Oropharyngeal papillomatosis Osteopetrosis Oxymorphone Pancuronium Parenchymal lung disease Pepper spray Periodic limb movement disorder Pertussis PGE1 Phrenic nerve paralysis Pickwickian syndrome Pierre Robin sequence Pneumothorax Polycystic ovary syndrome Polyposis Pontine hemorrhage Post-traumatic stress disorder Prader-Willi syndrome Prenatal asphyxia Propofol Pulmonary atresia Pulmonary edema Pulmonary embolism Pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary hypertension Pyrimidifen REM sleep Respiratory acidosis Respiratory syncytial viral infection Restless legs syndrome Rett syndrome Rhinitis Right ventricular hypertrophy Ropivacaine Secondary hypertension Seizures Septal dislocation Septal hematoma Septicemia SADDAN Shock Sickle cell disease Sleep deprivation Smoking Sodium thiopental Spinal cord injury Strychnine Sudden infant death syndrome Testosterone deficiency Tetramethylammonium Hydroxide Toxidrome Tracheal rupture Transtentorial herniation Trazodone Treacher Collins syndrome Trisomy 13 Turbinate hypertrophy Upper airway obstruction Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) Use of sedatives (sleeping pills) Vocal cord paralysis Werdnig-Hoffman disease