TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Primary Alveolar Hypoventilation A1 - Fitzpatrick, Meghan E. A1 - Prendergast, Niall T. A1 - Rivera-Lebron, Belinda A2 - Papadakis, Maxine A. A2 - McPhee, Stephen J. A2 - Rabow, Michael W. A2 - McQuaid, Kenneth R. Y1 - 2022 N1 - T2 - Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2022 AB - Primary alveolar hypoventilation ("Ondine curse") is a rare syndrome of unknown cause characterized by inadequate alveolar ventilation despite normal neurologic function and normal airways, lungs, chest wall, and ventilatory muscles. Hypoventilation is even more marked during sleep. Individuals with this disorder are usually nonobese males in their third or fourth decades who have lethargy, headache, and somnolence. Dyspnea is absent. Physical examination may reveal cyanosis and evidence of pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. Hypoxemia and hypercapnia are present and improve with voluntary hyperventilation. Erythrocytosis is common. Treatment with ventilatory stimulants is usually unrewarding. Augmentation of ventilation by mechanical methods (phrenic nerve stimulation, rocking bed, mechanical ventilators) has been helpful to some patients. Adequate oxygenation should be maintained with supplemental oxygen, but nocturnal oxygen therapy should be prescribed only if diagnostic nocturnal polysomnography has demonstrated its efficacy and safety. Primary alveolar hypoventilation resembles—but should be distinguished from—central alveolar hypoventilation, in which impaired ventilatory drive with chronic respiratory acidemia and hypoxemia follows an insult to the brainstem (eg, bulbar poliomyelitis, infarction, meningitis, encephalitis, trauma). SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/16 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1186013279 ER -