[The effect of percutaneous transluminal stenting for vertebrobasilar ischemia on sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between vertebrobasilar ischemia (VBI) and sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) and the effect of percutaneous transluminal stenting for VBI on the clinical parameters of SAHS.

METHODS: Twenty patients with VBI were included for clinical history, physical examination with sleep quentionnaires and scored by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Polysomnographic (PSG) studies were performed before and after vascular stenting for VBI. The relationship among clinical factors, the incidence and characteristics of SAHS were analyzed. The changes of apnea hypopnea index (AHI), longest apnea duration (LAD), the total time of apnea and hypopnea (AH%), the lowest arterial saturation (LSaO(2)) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI(4)) before and after vascular stenting were compared.

RESULTS: PSG studies were performed in 20 cases of VBI. SAHS was confirmed in 17 of the 20 patients, including mild (10/20), moderate (3/20) and severe (4/20), all were of obstructive. Before stenting therapy, AHI was 11.3/h (6.3 - 23.6)/h, but was 5.0/h (1.6 - 12.7)/h after therapy. LAD was (31.5 +/- 18.6) s vs (19.5 +/- 12.4) s, LSaO2 was (83.6 +/- 7.1)% vs (86.1 +/- 3.3)%, the AH% was [2.3 (0.6% - 9.8)%] vs [6.9% (2.6 - 14.3)%], ODI(4) was 10.1/h (5.3 - 29.0)/h vs 5.8/h (2.7 - 17.0)/h, respectively before and after stenting. AHI, LAD and ODI(4) were significantly decreased and LSaO(2) was increased after stenting for VBI.

CONCLUSION: This series of patients with cerebravascular ischemia caused by vertebrobasilar artery stenosis had a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Vertebrobasilar vascular stenting was shown to be a reliable method of decreasing the degree of sleep-disordered breathing and hypoxia for SAHS patients with vertebrobasilar artery stenosis.