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Sleep Apnea Following Percutaneous Cervical Cordotomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Bruce I. Tranmer ,
William S. Tucker  and
Juan M. Bilbao
Bruce I. Tranmer*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
William S. Tucker
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Juan M. Bilbao
Affiliation:
Division of Neurosurgery & Department of Pathology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
*
Division of Neurosurgery, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 E. Ninth Avenue, Box C-307, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. 80262
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Abstract:

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Sleep apnea (Ondine's Curse) is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication of percutaneous cervical cordotomy. The authors have had the opportunity to review the case histories of 6 patients who have died of sleep apnea following this procedure. In a series of 112 patients, 144 cervical percutaneous cordotomies were performed from 1977 to 1985 — 80 unilateral cordotomies and 32 staged bilateral cordotomies. Six (5%) patients died as the result of sleep apnea. Five patients (16%) died following bilateral cordotomy and one (1%) patient with pulmonary disease died following unilateral cordotomy. The clinical data of these 6 patients are presented and unique spinal cord pathology is described in this report. The pathophysiology of the sleep apnea syndrome is also discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , August 1987 , pp. 262 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1987

References

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