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Adult Chiari malformation and sleep apnoea

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Abstract

Chiari malformation (CM) is primarily characterised by herniation of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. Clinically, two main types of CM represent the vast majority of cases: type I (in adults) and type II (in infants). CM may result in neuronal impairment of the brainstem, upper spinal cord and cranial nerves. Part of the afferent and efferet systems and the central respiratory controlling system are located in the cranium-cervical transition and may be damaged in these pathologies, leading to respiratory disorders, such as respiratory failure and death. The ventilatory responses to exogenous and endogenous stimuli, such as responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia, are usually diminished, and apnea may be manifested and detected during sleep, allowing for the diagnosis. This study is a review of the relationship between sleep apnoea and adult CM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Ricardo Vieira Botelho, Lia Rita Azeredo Bittencourt & Sérgio Tufik

  2. Serviço de Neurocirurgia do Hospital do Servidor Publico do Estado de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Ricardo Vieira Botelho & José Marcus Rotta

  3. R Haberbeck Brandão 68-122, Indianópolis-Sao Paulo-Capital, Cep 04027040, Brazil

    Ricardo Vieira Botelho

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  1. Ricardo Vieira Botelho
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Correspondence to Ricardo Vieira Botelho.

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A commentary on this paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10143-005-0401-x

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Botelho, R.V., Bittencourt, L.R.A., Rotta, J.M. et al. Adult Chiari malformation and sleep apnoea. Neurosurg Rev 28, 169–176 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-005-0400-y

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