[Anterior spondylosis of the cervical spine causing dyspnea and sleep disturbance].

BACKGROUND

Cervical osteochondrosis is a rare differential diagnosis leading to dysphagia, inspiratory stridor and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We report six cases of patients with episodes of neck pain (n=6), pain reflected to the arm (n=1), sleep apnea (n=5), inspiratory stridor (n=3) and/or unclear dysphagia (n=6), who presented between 2000 and 2003 at the Römerwallklinik Mainz and the university hospitals of Mainz and Cologne. None of these patients had symptoms of spinal or radicular compression. All underwent otorhinolaryngological and radiological examination followed by excision of anterior spondylophytes and intervertebral fusion. One patient required immediate tracheotomy due to perforation of the pharyngeal wall associated with severe supraglottic swelling.

RESULTS

All patients were free of inspiratory stridor postoperatively. Symptoms of dysphagia disappeared in four patients and were reduced in two. Three of five patients were free of apnea. OSAS had improved in two. Neck pain was eliminated in four cases and markedly improved in two cases.

CONCLUSIONS

In case of symptoms of pharyngeal compression and OSAS, a vertebragenic cause should be considered.