The T's and A's problem--assessment and reassessment

Association of Adenoid Hypertrophy with Nasal and Middle Ear Pathologies in Adults

A prospective comparative study was carried out in patients attending ENT Out Patient Department of a tertiary care Hospital with an aim to determine the association of adenoid hypertrophy with chronic nasal and middle ear pathologies in those aged 18 years or above. Patients presenting between August 2020 and February 2022 with chronic nasal and middle ear pathologies who underwent diagnostic nasal endoscopy were seen for adenoid hypertrophy and its association was analysed statistically. Adenoid hypertrophy (AH) in 18-25, 26-35, 36-45 and 46-55 years age group are 56.25, 28.12, 12.5, 3.125% respectively with a male:female ratio of 3:1. None of the patients were above 56 years in the study. No statistically significant association could be derived between chronic nasal and middle ear pathologies with AH. AH is a vital cause of nasal obstruction in adult population with a rising frequency these days owing to allergy, chronic infection and increased pollution. The entire of the individuals presenting with nasal obstruction, snoring and other nasal symptoms and chronic middle ear pathologies; AH should at all times be kept in mind as a ground and the patients shall be appraised for adenoid hypertrophy.

Achondroplasia in Latin America: practical recommendations for the multidisciplinary care of pediatric patients

Background

Achondroplasia is the most common bone dysplasia associated with disproportionate short stature, and other comorbidities, such as foramen magnum stenosis, thoracolumbar kyphosis, lumbar hyperlordosis, genu varum and spinal compression. Additionally, patients affected with this condition have higher frequency of sleep disorders, ear infections, hearing loss and slowed development milestones. Considering these clinical features, we aimed to summarize the regional experts’ recommendations for the multidisciplinary management of patients with achondroplasia in Latin America, a vast geographic territory with multicultural characteristics and with socio-economical differences of developing countries.

Methods

Latin American experts (from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia) particiáted of an Advisory Board meeting (October 2019), and had a structured discussion how patients with achondroplasia are followed in their healthcare centers and punctuated gaps and opportunities for regional improvement in the management of achondroplasia.

Results

Practical recommendations have been established for genetic counselling, prenatal diagnosis and planning of delivery in patients with achondroplasia. An outline of strategies was added as follow-up guidelines to specialists according to patient developmental phases, amongst them neurologic, orthopedic, otorhinolaryngologic, nutritional and anthropometric aspects, and related to development milestones. Additionally, the role of physical therapy, physical activity, phonoaudiology and other care related to the quality of life of patients and their families were discussed. Preoperative recommendations to patients with achondroplasia were also included.

Conclusions

This study summarized the main expert recommendations for the health care professionals management of achondroplasia in Latin America, reinforcing that achondroplasia-associated comorbidities are not limited to orthopedic concerns.

Achondroplasia: a comprehensive clinical review

Achondroplasia is the most common of the skeletal dysplasias that result in marked short stature (dwarfism). Although its clinical and radiologic phenotype has been described for more than 50 years, there is still a great deal to be learned about the medical issues that arise secondary to this diagnosis, the manner in which these are best diagnosed and addressed, and whether preventive strategies can ameliorate the problems that can compromise the health and well being of affected individuals. This review provides both an updated discussion of the care needs of those with achondroplasia and an exploration of the limits of evidence that is available regarding care recommendations, controversies that are currently present, and the many areas of ignorance that remain.

Adenoid hypertrophy in adults: clinical and morphological characteristics

This study compared the aetiology and pathological characteristics of adult and childhood adenoid hypertrophy (AH). Clinical and morphological features and accompanying otolaryngological pathologies were recorded in 40 adults and 23 children undergoing adenoidectomy for obstructive AH. Both AH forms were similar in terms of symptomatology and associated inflammations. There were, however, significant differences in otitis media rate, with effusion and dullness, and retraction in the eardrum both more prevalent in childhood AH. Adult AH was associated with nasal septum deviation in 25.0% of patients. Histopathological features of adenoidal lymphoid tissue were dissimilar in the two groups: numerous lymph follicles with prominent germinal centres was the chief finding in childhood adenoids, whereas adult adenoids showed chronic inflammatory cell infiltration and secondary changes (e.g. squamous metaplasia). These results underline the importance of considering AH as a cause or contributing factor in nasal obstruction and related pathologies in adults and supports the theory that it represents a long-standing inflammatory process rather than being a novel clinical entity.

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.

Tonsillectomy--clinical consequences twenty years after surgery?

Tonsillectomy (T) is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on children. Long-term follow-up studies concerning its consequences are lacking. This study is the first study done on a group of patients that underwent T in their childhood, about 20 years ago. The investigation is a cohort study, which followed-up 18 patients who were tonsillectomized 20 years ago. It was to be determined whether these subjects suffer from more respiratory tract infections (or other infections) today, than people who are not tonsillectomized. A group of 54 age-matched subjects were selected for comparison. A questionnaire was mailed to the study population. No significant differences were found between the groups in the frequency of upper respiratory tract infection (URI). The mean number of URI's was approximately [MSOffice1]2.5 per year in both groups. The duration of the URI's was identical in each group. A high temperature was present to the same extent in each group. Absence from work, number of visits to physicians and the use of antibiotics were the same in each group. However, the prevalence of chronic disease was greater in the T-group than in the comparison group. The difference was significant with a Relative Risk of 9.41 and a Confidence Interval differing from 1 (1.13<RR<78.14) for the T-population to develop chronic disease. Because of the small number of the present study population, the results must be validated by further immunological and epidemiological studies on long-term effects of tonsillectomy.

Superior Adenoidectomy in Children with Palatal Abnormalities

When treating a child with a palatal abnormality for otitis media or a nasal obstruction, otolaryngologists often face the question of whether the benefits of adenoidectomy are worth the risk of the development of velopharyngeal insufficiency. Treatment options for these patients include a complete adenoidectomy, a partial adenoidectomy, or no surgical intervention. In this retrospective study, we describe the outcomes of 22 such patients who were treated with a superior adenoidectomy performed with a St. Clair adenoid forceps under indirect vision with a laryngeal mirror. All patients experienced a complete or near-complete resolution of their nasal obstruction, and none developed permanent velopharyngeal insufficiency. Only three patients experienced a recurrence of otitis media. Our experience suggests that superior adenoidectomy is a safe and effective procedure.

Velopharyngeal incompetence and persistent hypernasality after adenoidectomy in children without palatal defect

Persistent hypernasal speech after adenoidectomy has been reported in children with palatal deficiency. Hypernasality after adenoidectomy can also occur in children with normal palatal function. The aim of the present study was to identify the cause of velopharyngeal incompetence and hypernasality after adenoidectomy in children who did not have palatal defect as a predisposing factor. Sixteen children who developed hypernasality after adenoidectomy were included in the present study. Standard lateral cephalometry, videofluoroscopy, and nasopharyngoscopy were performed to visualize the velopharynx and its function during speech. The results showed that enlarged tonsils and prominent remaining adenoid tissue on the posterior pharyngeal wall were the causes of hypernasality in these children. Incomplete removal of the adenoid tissue should be avoided and enlarged tonsils should be removed at the time of adenoidectomy to prevent the risk for postoperative hypernasality.

Enlarged adenoid and adenoidectomy in adults: endoscopic approach and histopathological study

Adenoid enlargement is uncommon in adults and because examination of the nasopharynx by indirect posterior rhinoscopy is inadequate, many cases of enlarged adenoid in adults are misdiagnosed and accordingly maltreated. This study was conducted on 35 cases of enlarged adenoid aged between 20 and 42 years. The nasal endoscope was utilized to identify the adenoid mass. Adenoidectomy under transnasal endoscopic control was performed and all the excised material was sent for histopathological examination. Adenoidectomy resulted in marked improvement in 94 per cent of cases without major complications. Histopathological examination revealed non-specific inflammatory reaction in 15 cases (43 per cent), pure reactive changes, predominantly follicular hyperplasia, in two cases (6 per cent) and mixed pattern in 18 cases (51 per cent). Endoscopic follow-up for an average 17 months identified recurrence in only two patients. It was concluded that enlarged adenoid tissue in adults has some histopathological differences from that in children and adenoidectomy under transnasal endoscopic control is safe and reliable.

Influence of tonsils on velopharyngeal movements in children with craniofacial anomalies and hypernasality

Velopharyngeal activity and tongue and tonsil movements were examined cineradiographically in the connected speech of 40 hypernasal children with craniofacial disorders--20 with small tonsils and 20 with large tonsils. The tonsils were defined as large when they obstructed two thirds or more of the pharyngeal space; they were considered small if the obstruction was one fourth or less of the pharyngeal space. In patients with small tonsils, consistent velopharyngeal activity was seen most of the time, regardless of the position of the back of the tongue during speech. An association between large tonsils and decreased velopharyngeal activity was found for speech sounds articulated in the back of the mouth. Therefore when examining velopharyngeal activity in hypernasal children, it is important that the speech material include syllables and words with speech sounds articulated in the back of the mouth.

Immunological basis of indications for tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy

The tonsils are immune organs. The necessity for T & A should have a more rational approach for selected cases. The tonsils have a large immune function. The defense function of the tonsils is much greater in children than in adults. The children develop their resistance to infection by the time they are 7-8 years old. Tonsils and adenoids should not be removed below the age of eight unless there are absolute indications. Tonsillectomy has little or no effect on allergy. It is being done on account of tonsillar sepsis, and no other results are to be expected. In cases of obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy in young children, unilateral tonsillectomy is indicated. T & A are two separate operations, each with their own indications. Tonsillar focality could be regarded as a qualitative alteration in tonsillar antibody formation. The treatment of recurrent tonsillitis is related to the age of the patient. The solution to the problem up to an age of about 12 is quite different from that in older people. Alternatives to surgery are immunotherapy, intermittent chemotherapy and observation.

Unilateral tonsillectomy--indications and results

Seventy-six cases of unilateral tonsillectomy performed over the last 20 years are reported. The average age was 3.75 years. Fifty per cent had adenoidectomy. A review of their case notes and of 54 questionnaires returned by parents, asking their opinion of the change in symptoms before operation and two years after operation, showed that they could be allotted into three groups: Group 1 35 cases (65 per cent) had dramatic improvement in the symptoms of allergy, colds, otitis, sore throats, eating, meat eating and sleep. Group 2 of nine cases (17 per cent) had considerable improvement in most symptoms. Group 3 of 10 cases (18 per cent) had minimal improvement. Post-tonsillectomy hypertrophy of the remaining tonsil occurred within two to four years in nine cases, necessitating removal. Four (11 per cent) in Group 1, (22 per cent) in Group 2, and three (30 per cent) in Group 3. The three secondary tonsillectomies in Group 3 gave good results in two cases. In five cases the other tonsil was removed six to 15 years later. This series of cases has demonstrated that a tremendous decrease in incidence of throat and upper respiratory tract infection in young children, apparently prone to infection can occur in over 80 per cent of cases following unilateral tonsillectomy, in spite of the continued presence of the remaining large tonsil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of recurrent tonsillitis on growth and cervical lymphadenopathy in children

A group of 50 children between the ages of 4 and 10 years with a history of recurrent tonsillitis were compared with 50 age- and sex-matched controls. The latter group were recruited from out-patients with orthopaedic, ophthalmological or general surgical problems. The heights and weights of the two groups did not differ significantly. A difference in the incidence of cervical lymphadenopathy between the two groups was demonstrated, but this difference was relatively minor. Of the control children 70% had palpable lymph nodes in their necks. We conclude that none of the 3 factors are of much value in deciding whether or not a patient would benefit from tonsillectomy.

Partial adenoidectomy

Adenoidectomy in the presence of an inadequate palate may result in velopharyngeal insufficiency. When an adenoidectomy is indicated in a child whose palate is not fully adequate, a partial adenoidectomy may be considered. Partial adenoidectomy involves removing the upper part of the adenoid for relief of nasal obstruction while leaving the lower portion of the adenoid intact to ensure velopharyngeal competence. Fifty-eight children underwent partial adenoidectomy over a 4-year period; 55 of these children had preoperative nasal obstruction; 49 had a tonsillectomy done at the same time; and 2 had had a previous T&A. The rationale for retaining the lower portion of the adenoid includes a short soft palate, decreased palatal mobility, a mild submucous cleft palate, huge tonsils pushing the palate anteriorly, and a short hard palate. The relief of nasal obstruction was excellent. There were no primary postoperative hemorrhages, and none of the 58 children developed velopharyngeal insufficiency following partial adenoidectomy.

The occurrence of adenoidal signs and symptoms in normal children

A characteristic clinical picture has been attributed to enlarged adenoids. In order to investigate this concept the occurrence of certain signs and symptoms was compared in a series of children selected for adenoidectomy and in a series of normal children. Nasal obstruction, snoring and speech defect occurred more frequently in children having adenoidectomy. The symptoms of rhinorrhoea, cough and headache and the signs of mouth breathing and abnormality on anterior rhinoscopy occurred as frequently in normal children as in children having adenoidectomy.

Guillotine tonsillectomy: anachronism or pragmatism

The results of a retrospective survey comparing the complications of guillotine tonsillectomy with those of dissection tonsillectomy are given. The problem of tonsil tags and adenoidectomy are discussed and a reappraisal of the indications for guillotine tonsillectomy are considered. We feel that guillotine tonsillectomy should only be carried out in very special circumstances.

The assessment of adenoidal size by radiological means

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of radiology in the assessment of both adenoidal size and the size of the nasopharyngeal airway. There was a good correlation between the preoperative assessment of the size of the adenoid by radiology and the actual size of the adenoid removed at surgery. A method of estimating the size of the nasopharyngeal airway is described. There was a good inverse correlation between the size of the airway and the weight of the adenoid.

The value of signs and symptoms in the diagnosis of enlarged adenoids

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between preoperative signs and symptoms and the actual size of the adenoid found at operation in a group of children listed for adenoidectomy.