Pediatric sleep disordered breathing-Macroglossia

In the past, surgical treatment of macroglossia has focused on treating the enlarged, protruding tongue, with various anterior glossectomy techniques. However, in the treatment of pediatric sleep disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea, obstruction occurs more often in the posterior and base of tongue areas. Techniques to evaluate for site of obstruction are presented. Surgical approaches for treating the posterior tongue and base of tongue glossoptosis are discussed. It should be emphasized that the use of these techniques in children is still in its infancy, and published data on outcomes in children are not yet available.