The most important throat-related symptoms suggestive of chronic tonsillitis as the main indication for adult tonsillectomy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

The literature lacks data about the evaluation of throat-related symptoms proving chronic tonsillitis as the most common indication for adult tonsillectomy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the most important throat-related symptoms suggestive of chronic tonsillitis in adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A prospective cohort study was carried out. The analysis of throat-related symptoms (complaints, tonsillitis rate, pharyngeal signs, and antistreptolysin-O titer) in 81 adults with histologically confirmed chronic tonsillitis was conducted.

RESULTS:

Recurrent tonsillitis was the most common complaint (74.1%). The mean number of tonsillitis episodes was 3.6 (SD, 1.9) times per year. There were no significant differences comparing the frequencies of all the analyzed pharyngeal signs (P>0.05). The antistreptolysin-O titer (mean, 279.8; SD, 211.6 UL) was pathological in 33.3% of patients. The study identified the most important throat-related symptoms revealing chronic tonsillitis: tonsillar cryptic debris (OR, 8.84; 95% CI, 1.93-40.53; P=0.005) and enlarged anterior cervical lymph nodes along with the frequency of tonsillitis episodes exceeding 3 times per year (OR, 8.27; 95% CI, 1.33-51.57; P=0.024). The classification accuracy of 85.2% was obtained.

CONCLUSIONS:

Tonsillar cryptic debris and enlarged regional lymph nodes along with recurrent tonsillitis could support the diagnosis of chronic tonsillitis in adults when considering tonsillectomy.

• Authors: Rūta Pribuišienė, Alina Kuzminienė, Valdas Sarauskas, Viktoras Saferis, Kipras Pribuišis, Ieva Rastenienė
• Journal: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) (Medicina (Kaunas)) Vol. 49 Issue 5 Pg. 219-22 ( 2013) ISSN: 1648-9144 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 24247917 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Chronic Disease
• Female
• Humans
• Lymph Nodes (pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Palatine Tonsil (pathology)
• Pharynx (pathology)
• Prospective Studies
• Recurrence
• Tonsillectomy
• Tonsillitis (classification, pathology, surgery)
• Young Adult