Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Tongue: An Uncommon Cause of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

We present the case of a 31-year-old man with a history of progressively worsening snoring and daytime sleepiness. Polysomnography revealed severe obstructive sleep apnea. An attempt to treat sleep apnea by continuous positive airway pressure and oral appliance led to a poor clinical response. CT and MRI scans findings revealed a large mass in the tongue base partially obstructing the airway. After the excision of the mass all symptoms, included daytime somnolence, disappeared and a polysomnographic examination showed the normalization of the somnographic parameters.DiscussionAlthough OSA is rarely caused by tumors, each patient with sleep disorders breathing should be examined carefully for the potential presence of an upper aero-digestive tract neoplasm that may contribute to obstruction.
Source: Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research