Purpose: Present an intriguing case of a man suffering of OSA who has a homozygous monochorionic twin. Made a systematic review of the literature to summarize existing data and the reported incidence of OSA in twins. Methods: Case presentation and systematic literature review, according to the PRISMA guidelines about twins and Obstructive sleep Apnea. Results: Our patient had a severe OSA condition with an Apnea Hypopnea index (AHI) of 57.6. This patient had a twin who did not suffer from sleep apnea and presented different oropharyngeal and endoscopic anatomical characteristics. Six eligible studies were identified investigating OSA or OSA-related traits in twins. All studies demonstrated higher concordance among monozygotic than dizygotic twins and substantial heritability estimates (40%-83%), particularly for AHI and ODI. However, non-shared environmental and anatomical factors accounted for considerable phenotypic variability. Conclusion: Despite the genetic factors related to the sleep apnea, differences in anatomical features and lifestyle could contributed to the different expression of OSA.
Obstructive sleep apnea and twins / Iannella, G., Collettini, A., Polimeni, A., De Virgilio, A., Mancini, P., Pace, A., Maniaci, A., Lechien, J.R., Chiesa-Estomba, C., Vaira, L.A., Cocuzza, S., Caranti, A., Vicini, C., Casale, M., Moffa, A., Bellizzi, M.G., Croce, E., Nicoletti, S., Dispenza, F., Magliulo, G.. - In: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY. - ISSN 0196-0709. - 47:5(2026). [10.1016/j.amjoto.2026.104919]
Obstructive sleep apnea and twins
Iannella, Giannicola;Collettini, Andrea;Polimeni, Antonella;De Virgilio, Armando;Mancini, Patrizia;Pace, Annalisa;Bellizzi, Mario Giuseppe;Croce, Enrica;Nicoletti, Saverio;Magliulo, Giuseppe
2026
Abstract
Purpose: Present an intriguing case of a man suffering of OSA who has a homozygous monochorionic twin. Made a systematic review of the literature to summarize existing data and the reported incidence of OSA in twins. Methods: Case presentation and systematic literature review, according to the PRISMA guidelines about twins and Obstructive sleep Apnea. Results: Our patient had a severe OSA condition with an Apnea Hypopnea index (AHI) of 57.6. This patient had a twin who did not suffer from sleep apnea and presented different oropharyngeal and endoscopic anatomical characteristics. Six eligible studies were identified investigating OSA or OSA-related traits in twins. All studies demonstrated higher concordance among monozygotic than dizygotic twins and substantial heritability estimates (40%-83%), particularly for AHI and ODI. However, non-shared environmental and anatomical factors accounted for considerable phenotypic variability. Conclusion: Despite the genetic factors related to the sleep apnea, differences in anatomical features and lifestyle could contributed to the different expression of OSA.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
