Chest ACCP Member Benefits
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Licht, J.
Right arrow Articles by Glauser, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Licht, J.
Right arrow Articles by Glauser, R.

Chest, Vol 70, 672-674, Copyright © 1976 by American College of Chest Physicians

ARTICLES

Tonsillar hypertrophy in an adult with obesity-hypoventilation syndrome. The use of the flow-volume loop

JR Licht, WR Smith and RL Glauser

A 29-year-old obese man had marked tonsillar hypertrophy, somnolence, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia. Endotracheal intubation followed by tracheostomy relieved the hypoventilation. Weight loss improved the arterial blood gas levels. Sequential upright and supine flow-volume loops were compatible with a fixed upper-airway obstruction (such as would occur) with enlarged tonsils) prior to tonsillectomy. Following surgery, the expiratory flow-volume curve was abnormal in the supine position, consistent with the additional diagnosis of posterior pharyngeal hypotonia. Thus, in this patient the unique combination of tonsillar hypertrophy, posterior pharyngeal hypotonia, obesity, and a depressed respiratory center led to retention of carbon dioxide.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1976 by the American College of Chest Physicians.