Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jun 2019
Outcomes of Children with Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treated Nonsurgically: A Retrospective Review.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway and is commonly caused by adenotonsillar hypertrophy in children. Accordingly, adenotonsillectomy is considered first-line treatment. However, in cases of mild OSA, nonsurgical management has been proposed as an alternative. The purpose of this study was to determine the outcomes of pediatric patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treated without surgical intervention. ⋯ Mild pediatric OSA has approximately equal chances of worsening or improvement over time without surgical intervention, which is useful for counseling parents on treatment options.