Is Adenoidectomy and/or Tonsillectomy a Risk Factor for Allergic Diseases and Asthma in Adulthood?

Evaluation Value of Allergy in Adenoid Hypertrophy Through Blood Inflammatory Cells and Total Immunoglobulin E

Objective: Previous reports have indicated the close association of allergy with adenoid hypertrophy (AH). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the inflammatory cells and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) in blood could be useful in the diagnosis of allergy in AH. Methods: Two hundred thirty-four children who underwent adenoidectomy were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Blood routine parameters were recorded, and total IgE as well as specific IgE (sIgE) of common allergens were tested perioperatively. The diagnostic utility of blood inflammatory cells and total IgE compared with serum sIgE testing was assessed. Results: In our study, 35.47% of AH children were atopic. Dermatophagoides farinae (d2), Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (d1), and mold (mx2) were the most common sensitizing allergens. Significantly elevated eosinophil count, eosinophil to lymphocyte value, and total IgE were found in allergic AH children. As a result of receiver operating characteristic analysis, systemic total IgE could be a method to diagnose allergy in AH with a cutoff value of 46.55 and higher (area under curve [AUC] = 0.837; P < 0.001). Peripheral eosinophil count and eosinophil to lymphocyte were also able to predict positive allergy test result in AH children, with a cutoff value of 0.295 (AUC = 0.721; P < 0.001) and 0.082 (AUC = 0.685; P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The presence of allergy can be distinguished by looking at peripheral total IgE and/or blood eosinophils in AH, which will guide us to the precise treatment of AH and also reduce the cost considerably.

Echinacea can help with Azithromycin in prevention of recurrent tonsillitis in children

PURPOSE

Recurrent tonsillitis in children is a common disease affecting children quality of life and extends to their families. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of combined use of oral Azithromycin (AZT) plus Echinacea compared to exclusive use of AZT in children with recurrent tonsillitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective comparative study including three groups of children with recurrent tonsillitis. Group 1: (100 patients) had no prophylactic treatment. Group 2 (100 patients) received [60 mg/kg] prophylactic dose of AZT divided as (10 mg/kg/day) over 6 consecutive days every month for 6 consecutive months. Group 3 (100 patients) received AZT as in group 2 plus commercially available Echinacea in a dose of 5 ml oral suspension; 3 times daily for 10 consecutive days every month for 6 consecutive months. Number of tonsillitis attacks and severity of tonsillitis symptoms were assessed and compared in different groups.

RESULTS

Group 2 and group 3 had significant less number of tonsillitis attacks and severity of assessed symptoms during 6 months of prophylactic treatment with significant better results in group 3 (i.e. AZT plus Echinacea) compared to group 2 (I.e. AZT alone). However; there was no significant difference in patients with any prophylaxis.

CONCLUSION

The combined use of Echinacea with Azithromycin produced favorable outcome than Azithromycin alone in pediatric patients with recurrent tonsillitis.

Tonsillectomy does not reduce asthma in children: A longitudinal follow-up study using a national sample cohort

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of tonsillectomy in asthmatic children using a control group with a comparable frequency of a preoperative history of asthma. Asthmatic children ≤15 years old were collected from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service - National Sample Cohort (HIRA-NSC) from 2002 through 2013. In study I, asthmatic children who had undergone a tonsillectomy (n = 2,326) and control I participants (n = 9,304) were selected and matched 1:4 for age, sex, income, and region of residence but not a preoperative history of asthma. In study II, a preoperative history of asthma was additionally matched for between the tonsillectomy (n = 2,280) and the new control II participants (n = 9,120). The margin of equivalence of difference (control-tonsillectomy) for asthma was set at -0.05 to 0.05 per year. In addition, repeated measures ANOVA was performed for tonsillectomy according to yearly changes in asthma, status asthmaticus, and admission. In study I, the preoperative frequencies of asthma, status asthmaticus, and admission were higher in the tonsillectomy group than in the control group (P ≤ 0.001). The frequencies of postoperative asthma, status asthmaticus, and admission were lower in the tonsillectomy group than in the control I group for 3 years. In study II, the frequencies of postoperative 1-, 2-, and 3-year asthma and admission were not lower in the tonsillectomy group than in the control II group. Tonsillectomy did not further reduce the frequency of asthma in patients who underwent this procedure compared to the control group when a preoperative history of asthma history was equally matched between the two groups.