Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Differential Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

As noted previously, excessive daytime sleepiness, the cardinal symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) may be caused by a variety of other conditions that must be ruled out in the differential diagnosis of OSAS. Some of these conditions include:

• Central sleep apnea
• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• Insufficient sleep syndrome
• Restless legs syndrome
• Periodic limb movement disorder
• Chronic pain syndromes
• Nasal abnormalities (e.g., deviated septum; nasal polyps)
• Oral abnormalities (e.g., enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids)
• Narcolepsy
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Hypothroidism
• Mood disorders (e.g., anxiety; depression)
• Excessive daytime sleepiness due to medications, alcohol, or substance abuse