Tonsils and Adenoids: What do we Find?

Abstract

In the last twelve months, 216 pairs of paiatine tonsils were removed in the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of Manchester Royal Infirmary. These operations were usually in children, from whom adenoid tissue (the pharyngeal tonsil) was removed at the same time. In the absence of a special reason, neither tonsils nor adenoids from children find their way to the surgical histology department: this is true enough to require special requests for specimens so that other people can see these organs. Adult tonsils are, of course, different in this respect.The age and sex distribution of tonsillectomy for the last four years is shown in Table I, and is remarkable for the high figure for males in the first two five-year periods and for females in the 10-25 year age group. The figures for the four-year totals of females are highly significant, and in fact the female preponderance in the adolescent and young adult groups brings-the total figures up to a near-equal distribution for the sexes, in spite of the early male preponderance. Very few tonsils are removed in Manchester Royal Infirmary before the age of 4, and hence the male period of risk appears to be 3-9 years of age and that of females 10-25 years.

Chronic Tonsillitis Can Be Diagnosed With Histopathologic Findings

“…Woodruff found same findings as an exuberant cryptitis and intact tonsillar architecture (4). Wright and Alvi also found same findings as cryptitis and lymphoid hyperplasia in tonsils from patients with chronic tonsillitis (5,6).…”

“…Although chronic tonsillitis are still the most common reasons for tonsillectomy (1), histopathological criteria for this infection have not been well studied. All investigations were confined to the lymphoid follicle, germinal centre and crypts, rather than investigating the changes in the entire tonsil area including surface epithelium (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Thus the results from these studies have been inconclusive.…”

Effect of gonadectomy and oestrogen administration on the response of lymph‐node post‐capillary venules to infection with Toxoplasma gondii

“…However, Beverley et al showed that lymphadenopathy due to postnatally acquired toxoplasma infection is seen more frequently in males under 15 yr, in females over 25 yr and equally in the two sexes between these ages. Similar results are seen with tonsillectomy (Wright, 1978). In an experimental study in mice, Henry and Beverley drew attention to the greater height of the lymphnode post-capillary venules in females, both in control and infected animals.…”

Zur Tonsillektomieh�ufung bei jungen Frauen

“…Dezennium sind Jungen, im 2. Mäd-chen stärker vertreten [5,7,15,19,23,24]. Venters und Bloor [19] oder Wright [24] zählten in ihrem Krankengut mehr als doppelt so viel tonsillektomierte Frauen zwischen 15 und 19 Jahren wie gleichaltrige Männer.…”

“…Diese Beobachtungen führen zwangsläufig zu der Vermutung, dass psychopathologische Faktoren zumindest teilweise eine wesentliche Rolle bei der Indikationsstellung zur Tonsillektomie spielen und unser Persönlichkeitsscreening mit dem FPI-R bei 24 Ob diese Auslegung der Textergebnisse zutrifft, mag dahingestellt bleiben, jedoch halten wir es angesichts der Persönlich-keitsprofile für wahrscheinlich, dass bei manchen jungen Frauen die besondere Persönlichkeitsstruktur in der psychosensiblen postpubertären Altersstufe die Indikation zur Tonsillektomie maßgeblich beeinflusst.Klar muss dabei bleiben,dass die Interpretation der Resultate des FPI-R nur mit gewisser Zurückhaltung erfolgen darf: einerseits steht eine relativ kleine Gruppe von nur 24 Probandinnen einem sehr viel größeren Vergleichskollektiv (n=169) gegenüber. Andererseits stimmt der Altersbereich der Normstichprobe (16-24 Jahre) nicht exakt mit dem der untersuchten Frauengruppe überein,wenngleich das Phäno-men der höheren Tonsillektomierate auch die Altersgruppe der Frauen von 20-25 Jahren betrifft (⊡ Abb.1,2).…”