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Primary alveolar hypoventilation - Overview

Alternative Names

Ondine's curse

Definition of Primary alveolar hypoventilation:

Primary alveolar hypoventilation is a rare disorder of unknown cause in which a person does not take enough breaths per minute. The lungs and airways are normal.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The cause is unknown. Current research is looking at how the brains of persons with this disease may be less responsive to carbon dioxide.

The disease primarily affects men 20 to 50 years old. It can also be present in male children.

Respiratory system

Reviewed last on: 9/2/2008
Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Phillipson EA, Duffin J. Hypoventilation and hyperventilation syndromes. In: Mason RJ, Murray J, VC Broaddus, Nadel J, eds. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2005:chap 73.

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