Efficacy of Submucosal Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate in the Soft Palate as a Treatment of the Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome : A Pilot Study

الملخص EN

Background.

As described by Mair et al.

in 2001, snoreplasty, the application of sclerosant agents in the palate is a promising and cheap alternative to treat snoring.

We decided to try this kind of therapy for the management of mild sleep apnea.

Study Design.

Experimental, longitudinal, prospective, nonrandomized, self-controlled pilot study.

Methods.

11 patients were included, all of them with a polysomnographic study showing an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) from 5 to 20, and with a Müller maneuver showing only retropalatal collapse.

Results.

We found significant decrease in the number of apneas hypopneas and oxygen desaturation as well as in the snoring index (P<0.05), although no differences were found in the number of arousals.

Conclusion.

Sclerosant agents might become a relevant part in the treatment of sleep apnea, in very well-selected patients.