New Options in Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Purpose of Review To describe the current literature pertaining to the evaluation and management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. Recent Findings Newer diagnostic modalities, such as drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and cine MRI, may be utilized to determine anatomic locations of upper airway obstruction contributing to OSA. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments have been studied as primary therapy for OSA or as adjuvant therapy for residual disease after adenotonsillectomy. Surgical therapy for persistent moderate to severe OSA following adenotonsillectomy may be considered for patients who are intolerant of or noncompliant with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy and tailored to pertinent anatomic sites of upper airway obstruction. Summary The current body of literature emphasizes evaluation and management for children with recurrent or persistent OSA after adenotonsillectomy. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of various pharmacologic, non-pharmacologic, and surgical therapies.