Central Alveolar Hypoventilation Syndromes

Chronic hypoventilation syndromes and sleep-related hypoventilation.

Chronic hypoventilation affects patients with disorders on any level of the respiratory system. The generation of respiratory impulses can be impaired in congenital disorders, such as central congenital alveolar hypoventilation, in alterations of the brain stem or complex diseases like obesity hypoventilation. The translation of the impulses via spinal cord and nerves to the respiratory muscles...

Central alveolar hypoventilation due to progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

Nocturnal hypoventilation - identifying & treating syndromes.

Nocturnal hypoventilation is a common feature of disorders affecting the function of the diaphragm or central respiratory drive mechanisms. The ensuing change in gas exchange is initially confined to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but over time buffering of the raised carbon dioxide produces a secondary depression of respiratory drive that will further reduce ventilation not only during sleep ...

Pulmonary hypertension in hypoventilation syndromes.

In this issue of the European Respiratory Journal, HELD et al. [2] report on 18 patients with severe pulmonary hypertension due to alveolar hypoventilation, who were markedly improved after 3 months of noninvasive bi-level positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV). Mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) were 50 mmHg and 6–7 Wood units, respectively, at baselin...

Alveolar hypoventilation treated with medroxyprogesterone.

Two children aged 1 and 20 months developed alveolar hypoventilation syndrome. They suffered severe apnoeic episodes and periodically required assisted ventilation. Their ventilatory response to carbon dioxide was lower than that of normal children and the transcutaneous oxygen tension during sleep was well below the normal range. Treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate resulted in an improv...