A case of accidental self-enucleation caused by obstructive sleep apnea

Nataliia Baker; Carlos H Schenck; Erin Golden; Ranji Varghese

doi:10.5664/jcsm.11218

A case of accidental self-enucleation caused by obstructive sleep apnea

J Clin Sleep Med. 2024 May 16. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.11218. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nataliia Baker¹, Carlos H Schenck², Erin Golden³, Ranji Varghese³

Affiliations

¹ St. Cloud Sleep Medicine Center, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
² Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, and Departments of Psychiatry, Hennepin County Medical Center and University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.
³ Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, and Departments of Neurology, Hennepin County Medical Center and University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis.

PMID: 38752810
DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.11218

Abstract

A novel form of injury associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that was comorbid with obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and severe daytime somnolence is reported in a 55 year-old woman, manifesting as severe ocular and extra-ocular muscle injuries sustained from suddenly falling asleep and colliding with a sharp object, resulting in surgical enucleation of the right eye and orbital implant. The literature on injuries (falls, motor vehicle accidents) related to OSA and excessive day time sleepiness (EDS) is reviewed, along with the literature on injuries from OSA-related parasomnias. The diverse health hazards, including physical injury, associated with OSA-EDS, are emphasized, further encouraging the need to educate primary care providers on early detection of OSA with prompt treatment intervention.

Keywords: OHS; OSA; excessive day time sleepiness; obesity hypoventilation syndrome; obstructive sleep apnea; ocular injury; parasomnias; sleep-related injury.

Publication types

Case Reports