Relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and silent brain infarction.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and ischaemic stroke is less known.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between OSAS and silent brain infarcts (SBI).

METHODS: Patients who applied to our clinic with the complaint of snoring, respiratory arrest during sleep, that underwent polysomnography were included. All patients were undergone cranial magnetic resonance imaging to detect SBI.

RESULTS: SBI was found in 176 (51.5%) of 270 patients in the group with OSAS and 94 (34.8%) patients without OSAS. The patients were evaluated according to their Apnea-Hypopnea Index(AHI) ratio, and those with were found to be significant in terms of SBI. SBI was detected in 56.56% in the moderate and severe (AHI ˃15) stage group and 39.94% in the normal and mild (AHI ≤15) OSAS group (p=0.009).

CONCLUSIONS: SBI was found to be significantly higher in patients with moderate and severe stage OSAS compared to the normal and mild OSAS group. Desaturations during sleep may influence the formation of these infarcts. Therefore, this study reported that patients with moderate and severe sleep apnea syndrome may have a higher risk of developing ischaemic cerebrovascular disease and that the treatment of these patients should be planned in this respect.