Congenital hypoventilation syndromes.

Although rare, congenital hypoventilation syndromes profoundly impact affected patients and families. In some diseases, such as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), hypoventilation is a key presenting feature. Ventilatory abnormalities may not be immediately evident in other disease states. The clinical aspects of several pediatric hypoventilation syndromes, including CCHS, Chiari type II malformation, Prader-Willi syndrome, familial dysautonomia, and rapid onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation are presented.