Benefits of maxillary expansion for a patient with spinal muscular atrophy type 2

This case report involves a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 who underwent nighttime mechanical ventilation with bi-level positive airway pressure. The oral examination revealed restricted mouth opening, lip interposition, dental crowding and maxillary compression. After maxillary expansion the upper airway volume increased 18.6%; 13 episodes of airway infections (20 days of hospitalization) were recorded in the 2 years prior to the maxillary expansion and only 4 episodes (no hospital admissions) in the 2 subsequent years. In conclusion, maxillary expansion in children with systemic disease that involves respiratory impairment may, in some cases, provide functional and clinical improvements, increase upper airway airflows and possibly decrease the number of respiratory infections Correspondence: Pedro Diz Dios, Special Needs Unit, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Santiago de Compostela University, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Fax: +34981562226, Telephone: +34881562026. e-mail: pedro.diz@usc.es Author Disclosures: Authors declare no competing interests. No funding or grants or equipment have been provided for the project from any source. There aren´t financial benefits to the authors. Details of this case report have not been previously presented. Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

https://ift.tt/2o4hZb3