Objective: To determine clinical and baseline polysomnographic data on obstructive sleep apnoea secondary to adenotonsillar hypertrophy in Hong Kong Chinese children.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: University teaching hospital, Hong Kong.
Participants: Fifty children (35 boys and 15 girls) suspected to have obstructive sleep apnoea were recruited between January 1999 and December 1999.
Main outcome measures: Symptoms questionnaire, electrocardiogram, chest radiograph, and full-night polysomnography.
Results: All patients had symptoms suggestive of obstructive sleep apnoea. None were found to have clinical evidence of cor pulmonale. Forty-five (90%) of 50 children had obstructive sleep apnoea with a respiratory disturbance index of greater than five. Central and mixed apnoeas were rare. Tonsil size did not correlate with the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea.
Conclusion: Symptoms and signs suggestive of obstructive sleep apnoea can lead to a high detection rate and confirmation of obstructive sleep apnoea by polysomnography.