[Differential diagnosis of obstructive and central sleep apnea in polysomnographic investigation].

AIM: To try validity of polysomnography in differential diagnosis of obstructive and central sleep apnea (SA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of 138 cases of sleep apnea (SA) subjected to polysomnography. 79 of them were treated with continuous positive pressure. RESULTS: In clinical practice it is rather difficult to distinguish between central and obstructive SA. In this respect, polysomnography was also unreliable as it is predisposed to hyperdiagnosis of central SA. CONCLUSION: In SA diagnosis, polysomnography should be used in combination with other diagnostic methods. In indeterminate diagnosis, a test course of the positive pressure is recommended to exclude obstructive SA.