Primary central alveolar hypoventilation in a child: early diagnosis during acute illness; trials with respiratory stimuli; studies related to endorphins.

Primary central alveolar hypoventilation (PCAH) has been described in adults, children, and infants. It is usually diagnosed clinically at an advanced stage when the secondary effects of chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia become evident. We report here PCAH in its early stage in a 7-year-old child, whose disease appeared as acute respiratory failure during an acute illness. When the acute illness subsided, the salient features of PCAH remained and were studied in some detail. We also describe the child's response to respiratory stimuli, and some results related to endorphins, including his plasma endorphin levels and response to a trial of naloxone.