Rapid maxillary expansion in patient with obstructive sleep apnea: case report

The aim of this case report was to evaluate the polysomnography indices, air space in the oropharyngeal region and quality of life scores using the OSA-18 questionnaire in a patient diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea before and after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). It is a case report with a male patient, seven years old, with maxillary hypoplasia, who underwent adenotonsillectomy surgery two years ago, had restless sleep, snore more than five times a week. Pre- and post-treatment diagnostic tests were performed, including nasofibroscopy, polysomnography, computed tomography, orthodontic records and the OSA-18 quality of life questionnaire. The treatment consisted of RME with Hyrax maxillary expander. After six months, the exams were redone. The polysomnographic record before treatment: IAH 2.8/h, after treatment 0.5/h. We concluded that rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in children with OSA appears to be an effective treatment.