[Obstructive dyspnea of oropharyngeal origin]

Obstructive dyspnoea of oropharyngeal origin is a recently recognized entity with numerous clinical forms depending on age, severity and symptoms. The authors insist on the two facets of this pathology that are most frequently seen and therefore of special interest to practitioners: the oropharyngeal obstructive syndrome due to enlarged tonsils in children, and the pharyngeal obstruction responsible for snoring and for the sleep apnoea syndrome in adults. In children, tonsillectomy is necessary to avoid complications which are sometimes severe. The various clinical features of snoring and sleep apnoea syndrome in adults, as well as their exploration and treatment, are described.