Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome caused by uncommon tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is always caused by anatomic abnormalities, including nasal cavity, pharynx, and neuromuscular dysfunctions, leading to airway narrowing. OSAS associated with a mass in the aerodigestive tract is rare. In the present study, we report OSAS caused by 9 cases of preoperative uncommon tumors in the aerodigestive tract. Two tumors in the parapharyngeal space were pleomorphic adenoma, one oropharyngeal tumor was mucoepidermoid carcinoma, one tumor in the right tonsil was schwannoma, and five tumors were non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Of the five NHL cases, one in the nasopharynx was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, two were mantle cell lymphoma, one was chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, and one was NHL. Tumors in the aerodigestive tract should be considered in the differential diagnosis of OSAS upon exacerbation of snoring or sudden gasping. Further examinations should be performed, including a routine workup (computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging) and positron emission tomography/CT.