Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a threatening ghost for children with beta-thalassemia major

Background/aim Patients with beta-thalassemia major (BTM) face a lot of complications. Recently described complication is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this work, we focused upon OSA in children with BTM and identified the relationship between OSA and other existing factors. Participants and methods A cross-sectional study on 124 children with BTM was conducted. Guardians of patients with BTM were asked to fill pediatric sleep questionnaire (PSQ) for OSA symptoms. Only 20 agreed to undergo overnight polysomnography (PSG). Results Of 124 patients with BTM, 66 had positive PSQ score. OSA was detected in 15 of 20 patients with BTM undergoing PSG. OSA and non-OSA groups were significantly different for age, BMI, serum ferritin, and PSQ score (P=0.04, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.006, respectively). Moreover, polysomnographic criteria were significantly affected in OSA in comparison with non-OSA group: sleep efficiency, apnea/hypopnea index, and arousal index per hour (P=0.001, <0.001, and 0.003, respectively). Conclusion Patients with BTM are at risk of developing OSA. Older aged patients with higher serum ferritin tend to be more vulnerable to OSA. Sleep-related breathing disorders scale extracted from PSQ may be helpful for OSA symptoms screening among patients with BTM. PSG assessment is recommended for those having OSA symptoms.