Central hypoventilation syndrome

Central hypoventilation syndrome is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which breathing becomes ineffective, with apnea or respiratory arrest during sleep and, in severe cases, during wakefulness as well. It may be congenital, in which case it is called congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and was once known as Ondine curse, or acquired later in life, for instance after severe injury to the brain or brainstem. Congenital cases are very rare and involve a failure of the autonomic control of breathing. Diagnosis can be delayed because severity varies and because the condition is not widely recognized, particularly in milder cases. Left untreated the condition can be fatal. Some people with late-onset forms, and some relatives who carry it, show few or no symptoms.