초록
연구배경 : 상기도 저항증후군 (UARS)으로 진단 받은 환자 및 이들의 수면다원검사 소견을 정상인 및 수면 무호흡증(OSA) 환자의 그것과 비교 연구함으로서 UARS의 이해에 도움을 얻고자하였다. 방법 : 임상적인 면담, 신체검사 및 식도내 음압 (Pes)의 측정을 포함하는 수면다원검사를 통하여 UARS로 진단받은 20 명의 환자와 OSA로 진단 받은 30명의 환자를 대상으로 하였고, Williams 등 (10)의 자료를 정상비교치로 이용하였다. 결과 : UARS는 OSA 보다 젊고 비만도가 낮은 환자특성을 보이고 수면다원검사시 OSA의 진단기준이 되는 RDI와 $SaO_2$가 정상에 가까운 특정을 보임을 알 수 있다. 기타 수면지표들은 정상범위에 속하거나 이상소견이 있더라도 OSA 환자의 그것보다는 경미하여 UARS가 OSA보다는 가벼운 상태의 장애임을 시사한다. 그러나 UARS 환자들의 ESS의 점수는 병적인 수준으로 낮 동안의 졸림기로 일상생활에 많은 장애를 받고 있음을 시사한다. 결론 : 본 연구결과는 UARS 환자의 특성 및 이들의 특정 적인 수면다원검사 소견을 보여줬다고 생각하며 지금까지 발표되고있는 UARS에 대한연구결과들을 지지한다. 즉 UARS는 임상적, 실험실적으로 OSA와는 다른특징이 있는 수면관련 호흡장애의 아형이다. 따라서 임상적으로 수면관련 호흡장애가 의심되는 환자의 나이가 젊고 BMI가 정상이고, 일반수면다원검사에서 RDI와 $SaO_2$ 등이 수면관련 호흡장애 진단기준에 미흡하더라도 수면중 코를 고는 등의 상기도 저항(upper airway resistance)을 시사하는 증상이 있고, 뇌파상 이유없이 자주 반복되는 전기 생리적인 각성이 있다면 UARS를 의심하여야한다. UARS 환자들이 호소하는 낮 동안의 졸림기는 OSA 환자들의 그것과 비슷하여 일상생활에 많은 고통을 주고 반복적인 흉곽내 압력의 지나친 상승은 심혈관계에 해로운 영향을 미치는 바 UARS에 대한관심이 필요하다.
Objectives : Upper airway resistance syndrome(UARS) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by abnormal negative intrathoracic pressure during sleep. Abnormally increased negative intrathoracic pressure results in microarousal and sleep fragmentation which underlay UARS-associated complaints of daytime fatigue and sleepiness. Although daytime dysfunction in patients with UARS is comparable to that of sleep apnea syndrome, UARS has been relatively unnoticed in clinical setting. That is why UARS is apt to be excluded in diagnosing of sleep-related breathing disorders since its respiratory disturbance index and arterial oxygen saturation are within normal limits. The current study presents a summary of clinical and polysomnographic characteristics found in patients with UARS. The present study aims (1) to explore characteristics of patients diagnosed with UARS, (2) to characterize the polysomnographic findings of UARS patients, and (3) to enhance the understanding of UARS through those clinical and laboratory characteristics. Methods : This was a retrospective study of 20 UARS patients (male 15, female 5) and 30 obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients (male 21, female 9) at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic. We diagnosed patients as having UARS when they met critenia, RDI < 5 characteristic findings of an elevated esophageal pressure($<-10\;cmH_2O$), frequent arousals secondary to an elevated esophageal pressure, and symptoms of daytime fatigue and sleepiness. We used polysomnographic value, which is standardized by Williams et al(1974), as normal control. Statiotical test were done with student t-tests. Results : (1) Mean age of UARS was $41.0\;{\pm}\;14.8$ years and OSA was $50.9\;{\pm}\;12.0$ years. UARS subject was significantly younger than OSA subject (p<0.05). (2) The total score of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was UARS $9.7\;{\pm}\;6.3$ and OSAS $11.2\;{\pm}\;6.3$. There was no significant difference between two groups. (3) The mean body mass index was UARS $28.1\;{\pm}\;5.7\;kg/m^2$ and OSAS $32.9\;{\pm}\;7.0\;kg/m^2$. UARS had significantly lower meen body man index than OSAS subjects (p<0.05). (4) The polysomnographic parameters of UARS were not significantly different from those of OSA except RDI(p<0.001), $SaO_2$ (p<0.001) and slow wave sleep latency (p<0.05). (5) Compared with normal control, Total sleep time in UARS subjects was significantly shorter (p<0.001), sleep efficiency index was significantly lower (p<0.001), total awakening percentage was significantly higher (p<0.001), and sleep stage 1 (p<0.001) were significantly higher. (6) OSA patients showed poor sleep quality and distinct abnormal sleep architectures compared with normal control. Conclusions : Conclusions from the above results are as follows : (1) UARS patients were younger and had lower body mass index when umpared with OSA patients. (2) The quality of sleep and sleep architectures of the UARS and OSA patients are significantly different from those of normal control. (3) ESS scores and awakening frequencies of UARS are similar with those of OSA, suggesting that daytime dysfunction of UARS patients may be comparable to those of OSA patients. (4) The RDI and the $SaO_2$ which are important indicators in diagnosing sleep-related breathing disorders, of UARS subjects are close to normal value. (5) According to the the above results, we unclude that despite the absence of $SaO_2$ drops and the absence of an elevated number of apnea and hypopnea, subjects developed clinical complaints which were associated with laborious breathing, elevated Pes nadir, and frequently snoring. (6) Accordingly, we suggest including LIARS in the differential diagnosis list when sleep related breathing disorder is suspected clinically and overnight polysomnographic findings except snoring and frequent microarousal are within normal limits.
(Department of Psychiatry, Dong-A University College of Medicine)
;