Childhood Obstructive Sleep Apnea: One or Two Distinct Disease Entities?

The increasing prevalence of obesity in children has revealed a clinical picture of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that is markedly reminiscent of the typical presentation of OSA in adult patients, and that remarkably differs from the original presentation and manifestations of OSA in non-obese children. Use of this classification may allow for improved delineation of management strategies, and help define potential disparities in short-term and long-term clinical outcomes. This article reviews the pathophysiologic mechanisms of OSA in children, delineates the clinical manifestations associated with the disease, and provides arguments for a novel and potentially useful proposition that defines two types of OSA in children.