Cardiac and pulmonary failure secondary to adenotonsillar hypertrophy

For over 15 years, upper respiratory tract obstruction due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy has been known to cause hypoxia, hypercapnia, increased pulmonary vascular resistance and thereby cor pulmonale and congestive heart failure. This is now an uncommon but not rare entity and three recent cases prompted this report. The typical patient is dyspneic with retractions, cyanosis, occasional periods of apnea and somnolence. Edema and hepatomegaly and at times splenomegaly are common. X-rays show cardiomegaly, which on electrocardiogram is found to involved mainly the right ventricle. The strict definition of cor pulmonale is right ventricular hypertrophy secondary to lung disease or abnormal pulmonary function, a definition that may logically be stretched to include abnormal respiratory function secondary to upper airway pathology. The mechanisms by which this occurs are generally agreed upon. Hypoxia has been demonstrated to cause pulmonary vasoconstriction. Acidosis and hypercapnia are thought by some to have the same effect. Pressure across the pulmonary vascular bed is also increased, as predicted by Poiseuille's law, by the high rate of blood flow required to maintain tissue oxygenation with poorly oxygenated blood. Conditions producing hypoxia of hypercapnia or both lead to hypertrophy and eventually to dilatation of the right ventricle. Three cases of children who underwent cardiac catheterization while suffering from cor pulmonale due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy are reported. Right ventricular pressure averaged 44/5, PAO2 72, pH 7.32, and PACO2 52. All were clinically improved following adenotonsillectomy. Cardiac catheterization was repeated in one case, with right ventricular pressure dropping from 44/5 to 21/2, pulmonary vascular resistance from eight units to three, and PACO2 from 62 to 44.