Sleep apnoea and daytime sleepiness in acromegaly: relationship to endocrinological factors

Sleep history and pituitary function were studied and sleep polygraphy performed in 11 acromegalic patients before and after pituitary surgery. Excessive daytime sleepiness or habitual snoring or both together, as well as an elevated fasting level of serum GH occurred in all the patients. In five men but in none of the women an abnormal number of episodes of sleep apnoea were observed. Pituitary adenomectomy improved the apnoea frequency in one patient, whereas in the others the abnormality was still present 1 year later. After operation the fasting level of serum GH became normal in eight patients, two of them with persisting sleep apnoea. The sleep apnoea syndrome is common and clinically important in acromegaly. Its early diagnosis using polygraphic monitoring is emphasized, as it is a treatable disorder.