EFFECT OF TESTOSTERONE ADMINISTRATION ON UPPER AIRWAY COLLAPSIBILITY DURING SLEEP

Testosterone is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of obstruct ive sleep apnea (OSA), but the mechanism is unclear. We present a case in which testosterone administration induced or exacerbated OSA in a 13-year-old male. We demonstrated that exacerbation of OSA by testoste rone was associated with an increase in upper airway collapsibility du ring sleep, and that this improved after cessation of hormone administ ration. Our data strongly suggest that the mechanism by which testoste rone administration may induce or exacerbate OSA is through an influen ce on neuromuscular control of upper airway patency during sleep.