Partial upper airway obstruction and sleep apnoea.

An unusual case is described in which partial upper airway obstruction led to a sequence of events characterized by sleep disturbance, enuresis, somnolence and cardio-respiratory collapse. The upper airway obstruction was not immediately apparent as the cause of subsequent clinical events. Attention is drawn to the general medical problems which may be produced by upper airway obstruction, with particular reference to those accompanying obesity and abnormal stature.