Pickwickian syndrome

Last edited 10/2021 and last reviewed 10/2021

Pickwickian syndrome is named after a character in Charles Dickens' book, "The Pickwick Papers". This character was obese and had a tendency to fall asleep during the day.

Pickwickian syndrome has become a term used to describe individuals who are obese, have some degree of respiratory failure during the day and suffer from cor pulmonale. There is a reliance on hypoxic drive for ventilation rather than hypercapnia.

Other features include:

• sleep apnoea
• episodic somnolence
• secondary polycythaemia
• right ventricular hypertrophy or failure