Objectives: This study sought to determine the clinical and
histopathological differences between chronic adenotonsillitis
and chronic adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
Patients and Methods: This prospective study included
286 patients (147 males, 139 females; mean age 16.6
years; range 3 to 45 years) with chronic adenotonsillitis and
197 patients (98 males, 99 females; mean age 9.5 years;
range 2 to 18 years) with adenotonsillar hypertrophy.
Clinical and histopathological findings were compared.
Results: The mean age was significantly higher (p<0.001)
and acute attacks of fever, dysphagia, and sore throat were
more frequent in chronic adenotonsillitis. Patients with adenotonsillar
hypertrophy more commonly manifested snoring,
mouth breathing, and dispnea. Physical examination showed
hyperemia of the anterior plica in 93% and 15% in chronic
adenotonsillitis and adenotonsillar hypertrophy, respectively.
Histopathologically, the former was more commonly associated
with severe lymphocyte infiltration to surface epithelium,
surface epithelial defects, plasma cells, atrophy, and fibrosis.
The sole outweighing difference in favor of chronic adenotonsillar
hypertrophy was increased germinal centers.
Conclusion: Clinical and histopathologic findings suggest
that chronic adenotonsillitis and chronic adenotonsillar
hypertrophy may be diverse diseases requiring different
approaches in treatment.
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Anahtar Kelimeler: Adenoidektomi; adenoid/patoloji; yaş faktörü;tanı, ayırıcı; hipertrofi; tonsil/patoloji; tonsillektomi; tonsillit/patoloji