ABSTRACT

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common clinical application of Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome and narcolepsy patients. Although both medical conditions can be different in extensive daytime sleepiness features and accompanying symptomatology, distinctive features may be masked in some cases. In our four reported cases, there were obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy type 1 coexistence. We aimed to discuss the possibility of this condition being comorbidity, the possibility of masking the type clinics in their association or the possibility of causing each other’s risk factors.

In two of the reported cases, although excessive daytime sleepiness was not restful and typical cataplexy attacks were not described in the beginning, cataplexy attacks started to be defined even when excessive daytime sleepiness persisted when they were treated with Sleep Apnea syndrome. As a result of repeated diagnostic tests, they were diagnosed with narcolepsy in addition to Sleep Apnea syndrome. In the other two cases, excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy attacks, and diagnostic tests indicated type 1 narcolepsy, but it was observed that the Body Mass indexes were increased in the clinical follow-up and sleep apnea syndrome was diagnosed with repeated test. By presenting the approach to these four cases, we aimed to identify the causes and possible mechanisms about coexistence between narcolepsy and sleep apnea syndrome.

Keywords: Narcolepsy, Sleep Apnea syndrome, daytime sleepiness, coexistence