Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and hypertrophic tonsils in infants

Background. - Even if failure to thrive in infants suffering from obstructi ve sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) due to hypertrophic tonsils is well document ed in the literature, the surgical act is often delayed due to the lack of diagnostic evidence. Case reports. - We report three cases which share the common characteristic of age of onset, tonsillar hypertrophy: growth retardation and growth catc h-up after tonsillectomy. Authors emphasize the importance of clinical diag nosis as a sufficient tool in making the decision of surgery, thus avoiding unnecessary and expensive investigations. Conclusion. - The diagnosis of OSAS in infants and children is essentially clinical, depending mainly on a history provided by the parents, laying str ess on nocturnal symptoms and clinical examination. Growth retardation is f requent in this syndrome and should be systematically sought Tonsillectomy, which is effective in relieving respiratory manifestations also allows gro wth recovery. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.