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PubMed1995

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in patients with Down syndrome.

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in patients with Down syndrome usually relieves symptoms of upper airway obstruction due to adenotonsillar hypertrophy. A retrospective review of 16 patients with Down syndrome who underwent a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy was conducted to define early postoperative morbidity, and to evaluate the results of the procedure. Fifteen of 16 patients had upper airway obstruction manifest by adenotonsillar hypertrophy. One had adenoid hypertrophy only. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (13), adenoidectomy (1), tonsillectomy (1), and UP3/adenoidectomy (1) were performed on these patients. Four patients (25%) required observation in an intensive care setting the first night. An average hospital stay of 2.1 days was noted with a range of 0 to 7 days. Significant postoperative apnea was common, and oxygen was used in over 60% of patients. Symptoms were resolved in 69% of patients at last follow up. In conclusion, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy can be a useful procedure for children with Down syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, however overnight hospitalization for observation and treatment of persistent apnea is appropriate.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed1996

Ondansetron decreases postoperative vomiting in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

One of the most frequently performed pediatric surgical procedures is tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Nausea and vomiting and the inability to tolerate oral fluids lead to unplanned hospitalizations. Despite treatment with metoclopramide and droperidol, nausea and vomiting continue to be high after this procedure. We designed this investigation to compare currently utilized antiemetics to ondansetron, a new serotonin antagonist, in hopes of decreasing the occurrence of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. This prospective, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial compared ondansetron, droperidol, and placebo administered at the induction of general anesthesia and the incidence of vomiting postoperatively. One-hundred sixty-five children between the ages of 2 and 12 years undergoing ambulatory adenotonsillectomy were enrolled and completed this investigation. The primary outcome measure was the elimination of vomiting during the 24-h investigative period following surgery. Both ondansetron and droperidol significantly lowered the incidence of postoperative emesis after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (P < 0.012) compared to placebo. Ondansetron was significantly more effective than droperidol in reducing emesis after discharge (P < 0.025). Both ondansetron and droperidol are effective in decreasing emesis when given before surgical incision in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. Ondansetron's antiemetic effect persists for up to 24 h following surgery with significant reductions in emesis. Ondansetron's effectiveness in eliminating vomiting without sedation or other side effects suggests that it should be considered as part of the standard management in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed2003

Lethal post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) seems to be a rare but unavoidable complication. Due to the frequency of performed tonsillectomies, it can be estimated that a certain amount may result in a lethal outcome. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical features of these rare cases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective case series of five patients with lethal post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage are reported after they had undergone tonsillectomy by four different surgeons. The relevant literature was reviewed. RESULTS: The youngest patient was 42 months and the oldest almost 13 years old. All patients were male. Three patients had left the hospital against surgeon's recommendation 5 days following tonsillectomy. Preceding episodes of bleeding prior to the lethal bleeding occurred in two patients. Lethal PTH occurred in four patients within 5-9 days, the latest bleeding 39 days after surgery. In the literature, lethal PTH was described for eight patients since 1958. The youngest patient was 4 years, the oldest 18 years old (mean: 8.6 years; median: 6.5 years). In three patients, lethal PTH occurred on the day of surgery and the latest bleeding 54 days after surgery. CONCLUSION: Due to the paucity of reports, little reliable information can be obtained from the literature. It remains unclear, whether or not this reflects the true incidence of this complication. The experience with the five reported cases suggests, that immediate surgical treatment may have avoided lethal outcome in most cases. Therefore, a close postoperative follow-up is advisable to detect any episode of bleeding as soon as possible which should be referred to a specialist. Certainly, the collected data do not suffice to establish general guidelines, indicating that further collection of cases is required to assess characteristics of lethal PTH.

Carotid Artery Injuries↗

PubMed2005

Taste disturbance after tonsillectomy and laryngomicrosurgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of taste disturbance after tonsillectomy and laryngomicrosurgery. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study. METHODS: Thirty-five consecutive patients underwent tonsillectomy with electric coagulator at Kanebo Memorial Hospital from September 2002 to May 2004. Another 35 consecutive patients underwent laryngomicrosurgery in a routine way during the same period. Both procedures were performed by two experienced doctors. The postoperative taste function was evaluated with questionnaire, electrogustometry (EGM), and serum levels of Zn, Cu and Fe. RESULTS: After tonsillectomy, 3/35 patients (8.6%) complained of taste disturbance, due to the pressure on the tongue in two, and Zn deficiency after lack of intake in one. All three patients recovered taste within 1.5 months. None of our patients had taste disturbance due to surgical insult of the lingual branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve. After laryngomicrosurgery, only one patient (2.9%) complained of taste disturbance with elevation of the EGM threshold that resulted from the pressure on the tongue. In addition, abnormal sensation in the tongue occurred in 9 cases (25.7%) after tonsillectomy and in 2 cases (5.7%) after laryngomicrosurgery, and feeling of thirst occurred in 12 cases (34.3%) and in 8 cases (22.9%), respectively. CONCLUSION: Taste disturbance occurs in few cases when experienced surgeons perform tonsillectomy or laryngomicrosurgery. However, it is recommended to inform the patients of the potential postoperative complications such as taste disturbance and abnormal sensation of the tongue.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Early stage impacts of tonsillectomy on immune functions of children.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the humoral and cellular immunity of patients with chronic tonsillitis before and 1 month after tonsillectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 37 patients scheduled for tonsillectomy were enrolled in this study. The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD25+ and CD16+ + 56+ were measured for cellular immunity, and levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4 were measured for humoral immunity in blood samples taken from these patients before and 1 month after the operation. RESULTS: The levels of CD3+, CD8+ and CD19+ were reduced in post-operative period as compared to pre-operative period but this was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However it was found that the level of CD4+ was significantly increased while the level of CD25+ was reduced (P < 0.05) in the post-operative period. There were statistically significant differences between pre- and post-operative levels of immunoglobulins, C3 and C4, which were decreased after tonsillectomy (P < 0.05), but these levels were comparable with those of the control group. CONCLUSION: The results from the present study indicate that humoral and cellular immunity of patients undergoing tonsillectomy were decreased in the early period and came to normal later. The cellular and humoral immune responses are stimulated in patients with tonsillitis, and tonsillectomy removes this stimulus without negatively affecting the patient's immune functions.

Antibody Formation↗

PubMed2004

Day stay pediatric tonsillectomy--a safe procedure.

OBJECTIVE: There is a controversy about day stay pediatric tonsillectomy in the UK and Australia. New Zealand has a similar health structure and we wished to compare day stay tonsillectomy from our hospital with those reported from other centers. METHODS: We performed a prospective audit of day stay tonsillectomy to determine conversion to hospital admission rate and the incidence of postoperative hemorrhage. RESULTS: There were 4850 paediatric tonsillectomies performed with 80% of them as day stay procedures over a 9-year study period (1993-2002) in a university-affiliated tertiary children's hospital. The primary postoperative hemorrhage rate (within 24h of surgery) was 0.9% (CI 0.68-1.22%) and 83% occurred within the mandatory 4h postoperative observation period. Primary hemorrhage requiring re-operation to achieve hemostasis occurred in 18 children (0.37%, CI 0.2-0.54%). No child with a primary hemorrhage who presented after discharge following day stay surgery required re-operation or blood transfusion. Day stay surgery was planned in 4041 children and 4.7% (CI 4.1-5.4%) required conversion to hospital admission. Postoperative vomiting was the most common indication for conversion (2.65%, CI 2.2-3.1%), while hemorrhage contributed only 0.95% (CI 0.64-1.24%). CONCLUSIONS: This study was performed in a health system similar to that of Australia and the UK. Complication and conversion rates are similar to those reported in North American centers. Pediatric day stay tonsillectomy is a safe procedure when performed with strict preoperative criteria, trained day stay unit (DSU) staff, and with in-patient facilities on site.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Safety and efficacy of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy in children: a multi-center retrospective case series.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of powered intracapsular tonsillectomy (PIT, e.g. regrowth rate) in children who underwent PIT at three different institutions. We also wanted to determine if the trend to greater safety through reduced bleeding and re-admission for dehydration, noted in our initial reports, would become statistically significant in a larger sample. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Multi-center retrospective case series. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all charts' of children who underwent PIT at three different institutions: the Children's Hospital at the Cleveland Clinic, Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, and the New York Otolaryngology Institute. For comparison, we reviewed the outpatient and inpatient records of all children who underwent conventional tonsillectomy performed by the same surgeons at the Children's Hospital at the Cleveland Clinic and Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children during the same period. No comparison group was available for the New York Otolaryngology Institute group. Three outcome measures were recorded: regrowth, bleeding and re-admission for dehydration rates. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We identified 870 children that underwent PIT at three different institutions. In addition, 1121 children underwent conventional tonsillectomy at two of the three institutions. The mean follow-up for the PIT group was 1.2 years (range, 0.1-2.6 years) and 1.5 years (range, 0.1-3.0 years) for the conventional tonsillectomy group. The incidence of and 95% CI for the outcome measures were as follows regrowth 0.5% (0%, 1.4%), delayed post-operative bleeding 0.7% (0%, 1.9%), re-admission for dehydration 1.3% (0.05%, 2.6%), and overall major complications 0.46% (0.009%, 0.9%). When comparing conventional tonsillectomy to PIT, the bleeding rate, re-admission for dehydration, and the overall incidence of major complications were significantly lower in the PIT group (P = 0.001, P = 0.002, and P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: PIT is a safe and effective technique in the management of obstructive sleep disordered breathing in children. PIT has the advantages of decreased pain, dehydration and post-operative bleeding, and with a mean follow-up of 1.2 years, a low incidence of tonsillar regrowth thus far.

Child↗

PubMed2005

Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in 15,218 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate potential risk factors and the incidence of bleeding following adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy requiring surgical treatment under general anesthesia. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective chart review of 15,218 patients who underwent surgery between January 1, 1988, and September 30, 2001, at our institution (St. Anna Hospital, Duisburg). RESULTS: A total of 229 patients experienced postoperative bleeding (1.5%). Patients of male gender and 70 years of age or older were significantly at risk for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. The incidence of bleeding increased with age. Of the bleeding episodes, 76% occurred on the day of surgery; immediate abscess-tonsillectomy was not associated with an increased risk of bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Hemorrhage following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is rare and predominantly occurs early after surgery. Male patients, 70 years of age or older, infectious mononucleosis, and a history of recurrent tonsillitis were identified as risk factors for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage. Delayed hemorrhage has the potential to be life-threatening.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed2006

Outpatient tonsillectomy in children: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of evidence regarding the safety of outpatient pediatric tonsillectomy. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: The medical literature addressing outpatient pediatric tonsillectomy was systematically reviewed. The level of evidence was assessed, and data were pooled. RESULTS: Seventeen articles met inclusion criteria. Each article suggested that outpatient tonsillectomy was safe. The overall level of evidence was fair (grade B-). Pooled data analysis in the perioperative period showed a complication rate estimate of 8.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.5%-12.1%; P < or = 0.001) and an unplanned admission rate estimate of 8.0% (95% CI, 5.3%-10.7%; P < or = 0.001). Subgroup analysis suggests that children under age 4 are at a higher risk of complications in the perioperative period with an odds ratio of 1.64 (95% CI, 1.16-2.31). CONCLUSION: The level of evidence supporting the safety of outpatient pediatric tonsillectomy is fair. The analyzed data show a higher rate of early complications and unplanned admissions in children under age 4. SIGNIFICANCE: The current evidence supports the practice of outpatient tonsillectomy in properly selected children. EBM RATING: A-1a.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗

PubMed2006

Thermal welding versus bipolar tonsillectomy: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare thermal welding tonsillectomy (TWT) with bipolar electrocautery tonsillectomy (BET) procedure. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective randomized study was conducted on 150 consecutive adult patients undergoing tonsillectomy. Indications included chronic tonsillitis and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Exclusion criteria included peritonsillar abscess history, bleeding disorders, and any other procedure together with tonsillectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to TWT or BET groups. Intraoperative bleeding, operative time, postoperative pain, complication rates, and return to normal diet were evaluated. RESULTS: In the TWT group there was no measurable intraoperative bleeding, while mean bleeding for BET group was 16 mL. No significant difference regarding mean operative time was noticed. Mean postoperative pain score and mean time for return to normal diet were significantly lower in the TWT group. Primary hemorrhage occurred in 1 subject of the BET group. Secondary postoperative hemorrhage was noticed in 1 subject of the TWT group and 3 subjects of the BET group. CONCLUSION: Thermal welding tonsillectomy procedure provides sufficient hemostasis, lower postoperative pain, and quick return to normal diet. EBM RATING: A-1b.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[Tonsillectomy by electrical dissection: risk factors of postoperative hemorrhage in children].

OBJECTIVE: To identify pre or intraoperative risk factors that could indicate a higher risk for post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage (PTH) in children undergoing electrocautery dissection. SET-UP: Primary referral hospital. DESIGN: A retrospective study of 163 post-tonsillectomy children comparing 7 cases of PTH with 156 cases with no PTH. SAMPLE: This study includes children under the age of 18 that underwent tonsillectomy by dissection between 1997 and 2000. OUTCOME PARAMETERS: Age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, hemoglobin level, hematocrit, platelet count activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, ASA index (physical state classification of the American Society of Anesthesiology) and type of hemostasis. RESULTS: Prevalence of PTH was 4.29% in the cohort sample. The risk of PTH in children following tonsillectomy by electrodissection is significantly increased in patients over 15 years of age (OR = 8.46, p = 0.04) and when ligatures are used for hemostasis (OR = 8.62, p = 0.02). Activated partial thromboplastin time > or = 32 seconds is marginally significant (OR = 7.82, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that tonsillectomy by electrodissection has an increased risk of bleeding in older children and when ligatures are used for hemostasis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Bacteremia during tonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate bacteremia in patients who underwent tonsillectomy with a dissection method due to chronic tonsillitis, which may lead to dramatic results in patients that have a cardiovascular infection risk. In this study, it was explored whether the tonsil surface and the tonsil tissue interior microorganisms are different or not, and whether these microorganisms carry bacteremia development risk. METHODS: Forty patients were enrolled in the study in ENT Clinic, Firat University. A bacteriological research was performed on patients with no treatment with antibiotics for a month before the operation. Tonsil surface and deep tissue cultures were performed, and venous blood samples were taken for cultures before and after the operation. RESULTS: Surface and deep tissue cultures of tonsils of the cases represented a different result in 27.5% of the patients. No reproduction was observed regarding the blood cultures taken before tonsillectomy. Bacteremia was found in blood samples of ten patients (25%) taken immediately after tonsillectomy. CONCLUSION: Hence, it has been concluded that different microorganisms may be present among the tonsil surface and tonsil deep tissue cultures and that bacteremia may develop after tonsillectomy. Therefore, to prevent the possible dramatic outcomes after tonsillectomy the required measures during the preoperative period should be taken into consideration, especially in patients that have chronic tonsillitis with cardiovascular disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Tonsillectomy for biopsy in children with unilateral tonsillar enlargement.

OBJECTIVE: Unilateral tonsillar enlargement (UTE) may be a sign of underlying malignancy and tonsillectomy is often recommended for histology. The limited evidence available suggests that the incidence of malignancy in children with UTE is very low, and that in many cases, the apparent enlargement is due to asymmetry of the mucosa of the tonsillar pillars. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the necessity of tonsillectomy as a routine practice for every case of UTE. METHODS: We attempted to identify every child (age < 16 years) undergoing tonsillectomy in our unit from January 1991 to January 2000 where the indication for surgery was UTE. Patients were excluded if the primary indication for surgery was anything other than UTE. The case notes and pathology records were reviewed. RESULTS: Exactly 47 children were identified, aged between 4 and 15 years of age (mean 9.5 years), of whom 29 (62%) were girls. In all cases, the tonsillar asymmetry was noted by the otolaryngologist, but had not been noted by the patient or parents, or commented on by the referring General Practitioner. Eighteen of the children (38%) had no history of sore throats. No malignancies were encountered. When the tonsils were measured by the pathologist after excision, the actual degree of asymmetry in size ranged from 0 to 25 mm. In seven cases (15%), the clinically larger tonsil was actually the smaller of the two when examined by the pathologist. In 17 cases (36%) there was no difference in size at all. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that apparent UTE is often spurious, and that many unnecessary tonsillectomies are performed when UTE is taken as an indication for surgery in the absence of any other suspicious features. Tonsillectomy carries risks and clinical observation may be prudent where clinical suspicion is low.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

A retrospective study of tonsillectomy in the under 2-year-old child: indications, perioperative management, and complications.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively review the experience with tonsillectomy in the under 2-year-old child at an urban children's hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 94 patients under 2 years old undergoing tonsillectomy between May 1, 1995, and May 31, 2000, were reviewed. The methods of tonsil and adenoid excision were noted, as was the use of perioperative steroids, antibiotics, and antiemetics. Outcome measures studied included the duration of postoperative inpatient observation, complications, time to first oral intake, prevalence of postoperative vomiting, type and duration of respiratory support, and improvement relative to operative indications. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients (87%) underwent tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A). Twelve patients (13%) underwent tonsillectomy without adenoidectomy. Patient ages ranged from 12 to 23 months (mean 19.6+/-3.1). Indications included obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in 51 patients (54%), chronic or recurrent tonsillitis in 30 (32%), both OSA and infection in 11 (12%), and acute tonsillitis with airway obstruction in two (2%). Comorbid conditions were numerous. Preoperative polysomnograms were obtained for eight patients (8%). Hospital stays ranged from 4 h to 16 days. Complications included hemorrhage in four patients (4%) and pneumonia in two (2%). Oxygen was required after discharge from the recovery room in 27 patients (29%), with seven more (7%) requiring either reintubation, continuous positive airway pressure, or nasopharyngeal airways. Of the 88 patients on oral diets, only five (5%) took longer than 24 h to resume oral intake. Two patients (2%) experienced significant emesis after surgery. Four patients (4%) required treatment for dehydration after discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Tonsillectomy is a procedure with low morbidity in the otherwise healthy child under 2 years of age. However, we advocate routine postoperative overnight inpatient observation in this age group. We found that young children with comorbid conditions had a higher incidence of complications and required special postoperative management strategies.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2003

Tonsillectomy: cold dissection versus bipolar electrodissection.

OBJECTIVES: to compare the technique and post-operative morbidity of two different tonsillectomy methods: cold dissection and bipolar electrodissection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: prospective study including children (3> age <14) undergoing tonsillectomy in ORL Department of the main hospital in Azores, Portugal, from September 2000 to March 2001. Patients alternately selected to cold dissection tonsillectomy group (CDT) or bipolar electrodissection tonsillectomy group (BET). Duration of surgery; amount of blood loss; duration of hospitalization; aspect of tonsillar fossa on 10th post-operative day and intensity of pain after surgery were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Sixty tonsillectomies were performed. Blood loss and duration of surgery were significantly decreased in BET group (P<0.001), but the healing process, directly assessed by the aspect of tonsillar fossa on the 10th day was markedly delayed. The intensity of pain was slightly higher in the BET group compared with the CDT group, and no difference on duration of hospitalization was found between the two groups. Two post-operative hemorrhages occurred (one in each group), and no major complications were registered. CONCLUSIONS: BET reduces the duration of surgery and amount of blood loss when compared with cold dissection, but post-operative morbidity is increased. We believe the best patient indication for this method are small children where total circulating blood volume is reduced and patients with bleeding disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Oral fluid intake following tonsillectomy.

Children undergoing tonsillectomy surgery traditionally have been required to drink a specified amount of fluid before being discharged home. With increasing economic pressures, same-day discharge tonsillectomy has become common, and several studies have shown it to be safe for the appropriately selected child. To examine the role of required oral fluid intake following tonsillectomy, a non-randomized cohort study was performed with 200 consecutive tonsillectomy patients scheduled for same-day discharge. The first 100 patients (group 1) were required to drink 20 cc/kg prior to discharge, and the next 100 patients (group 2) were not required to drink. The mean oral fluid intake prior to discharge decreased significantly between the two groups from 524 cc in group 1 to 130 cc in group 2 (P = 0.0001). The mean length of stay also decreased significantly from 13.8 h for group 1 to 10.0 h for group 2 (P = 0.0001). Sixty percent of children in each group vomited at least once following surgery. Fewer children in group 2 had protracted vomiting (8 versus 15) although this was not statistically significant (P = 0.12). No children were readmitted to the hospital for dehydration following discharge. Overall, 71% of children in group 1 scheduled to go home the same day were discharged on time, compared to 94% of children in group 2. In conclusion, it is safe and economically efficient to discharge tonsillectomy patients home prior to the resumption of normal oral fluid intake.

Adenoidectomy↗

PubMed1998

Acoustic rhinometric evaluation of nasal cavity and nasopharynx after adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy.

The occurrence of upper airway obstruction is frequently seen in patients with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. These patients usually also show hypertrophied inferior turbinates even without any other nasal or sinus disease. However, it is not known what the effect of adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy is on these hypertrophic turbinates. To determine the effect of these procedures on the nasal and nasopharyngeal geometry, we performed acoustic rhinometry previous to and 2 weeks following adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy, before and after spraying a decongestant in 31 children (19 males, 12 females; mean age, 8.03 years). After the adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy, there were increases in the cross-sectional area at the anterior end of the inferior turbinate (0.53+/-0.03 cm2 preoperatively, 0.65+/-0.21 cm2 postoperatively; P=0.01), the nasal volume (7.13+/-1.78 cm3 preoperatively, 9.38+/-1.65 cm3 postoperatively; P < 0.01), the cross-sectional area at the adenoid (0.80+/-0.53 cm2 preoperatively, 1.83+/-0.81 cm2 postoperatively; P < 0.01) before decongestion. However, 10 min after decongestion there was only a significant increase of the cross-sectional area at the adenoid (1.08+/-0.12 cm2 preoperatively, 1.80+/-0.20 cm2 postoperatively; P=0.01). We conclude that adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy reverse the congestion of the inferior turbinate which is observed in children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy and that acoustic rhinometry can be used to evaluate the effect of adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy on the nose and nasopharynx.

Acoustics↗

PubMed2000

Tonsillectomy in diagnosis of the unknown primary tumor of the head and neck.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to discuss the experience of one tumor registry with performing tonsillectomy in the diagnostic approach to unknown head and neck primary tumors. It also describes the importance of including tonsillectomy in this evaluation algorithm. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review was done of 68 patients with either tonsillar or unknown primary squamous cell carcinoma culled from 829 patients seen from 1956 to 1996 at the head and neck tumor registry at the Naval Medical Center San Diego. METHODS: Records from the head and neck tumor registry, radiation oncology service, and pathology department were reviewed with attention to presenting symptom, initial examination, diagnostic studies performed, and type and result of biopsies performed. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients sought treatment for a neck lymph node metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma without an identifiable primary tumor site. Six of these (18%) had the primary site diagnosed by performing tonsillectomy ipsilateral to the presenting neck mass. Six of 14 T1 tonsillar carcinomas in this series had the primary site identified by tonsillectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a diligent search, a primary tumor site may not be found in the head and neck cancer patient. The tonsil may harbor an occult squamous cell carcinoma. The patient benefits from identification of the initial tumor site because postoperative irradiation ports may be reduced and because surveillance for recurrence may be improved. For these reasons, tonsillectomy should be performed ipsilateral to the presenting cervical metastasis if no other primary tumor site is identified.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗