Laryngological problems in children with Down syndrome

Magdalena Frąckiewicz, *Agnieszka Garstecka, Małgorzata Drożniewska¹, Mieczysław Chmielik

Summary
Summary
Down syndrome is caused by trisomy of chromosome 21. Patients with this syndrome present many characteristic, phenotypical features. Patients with Down syndrome are more susceptible to infections, more often have congenital malformations of different organs and more often suffer from some chronic diseases and neoplasm. Therefore these patients demand a medical care of doctors from different specialties e.g. pediatrician, cardiologist, endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, orthopedist, otorhinolaryngologist. The most frequent laryngological problems present in children with Down syndrome include hearing loss, prolonging infections of upper respiratory tract and impaired patency of upper respiratory tract that can lead to the sleep apnea syndrome. The majority of authors consider, that patients with Down syndrome should be under systematical laryngological care from infancy. Patients with Down syndrome demand a special care during carrying out diagnostic procedures and an operation because of the general muscular hypotonia and anomalies in cervical part of spinal column, instability in atlanto-axial joint. Nowadays the life expectancy of patients with Down syndrome can even reach up to 50-60 years, therefore slowly we have to stop thinking about the patient with Down syndrome only as a child and start to notice that it can also be an adult.

To jest tylko fragment artykułu. Aby przeczytać całość, przejdź do Czytelni medycznej.