Adenoid Hypertrophy

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Adenoids 101 - Nasopharyngeal Guardians

Waldeyer's Ring Anatomy

  • A.k.a. Pharyngeal tonsils or Luschka's tonsil.
  • Location: Midline, posterosuperior wall of the nasopharynx.
  • Composition: Lymphoid tissue, part of Waldeyer's tonsillar ring.
  • Lining Epithelium: Ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium.
  • Blood Supply: Key branches from ascending pharyngeal, maxillary, facial arteries.
  • Physiology: Active immune role in early childhood; typically begin to atrophy around age 8-10, regress by puberty (~15 years).

⭐ Adenoids (pharyngeal tonsils) are lymphoid tissue located in the posterosuperior wall of the nasopharynx.

Hypertrophy Hub - Why They Swell

  • Primary Causes:
    • Repeated infections: Viral (adenovirus, rhinovirus) or bacterial (Streptococcus, Haemophilus).
    • Allergic rhinitis: Chronic inflammation triggers lymphoid tissue reaction.
    • Physiological: Natural immune system development in children.
  • Pathophysiology: Persistent antigenic stimulation leads to an increase in the size (hyperplasia) of the adenoid lymphoid tissue.

⭐ Physiological hypertrophy is most prominent between 3-7 years of age. It usually undergoes spontaneous regression by puberty.

Symptom Spotlight - Signs & Snores

  • Nasal & Respiratory:
    • Mouth breathing (persistent)
    • Snoring (loud, apneic pauses → OSA)
    • Rhinorrhea (nasal discharge)
    • Hyponasal speech (Rhinolalia clausa)
  • Otological (Eustachian Tube Dysfunction):
    • Recurrent AOM
    • OME ("Glue ear") → conductive hearing loss
  • Adenoid Facies (Chronic Obstruction):
    • Elongated face, open mouth, dull look
    • Pinched nares, high-arched palate
    • Dental malocclusion
    • 📌 FACES Mnemonic:
      • Flat midface
      • Allergic shiners
      • Chronic mouth breathing
      • Elongated face
      • Short upper lip / High arched palate Adenoid Hypertrophy: Background, Symptoms, Treatment
  • General:
    • Restless sleep, night cough
    • Feeding difficulty (infants)

⭐ 'Adenoid facies' is a characteristic constellation of facial features due to chronic nasal obstruction from adenoid hypertrophy.

Diagnostic Drilldown - Peeking & Probing

  • Clinical Suspicion: Based on hallmark symptoms (persistent nasal obstruction, mouth breathing, snoring, hyponasal speech).
  • Examination:
    • Posterior Rhinoscopy: May reveal adenoid mass; difficult in young children.
    • Nasal Endoscopy: Gold standard for direct visualization and grading.
  • Imaging:
    • X-ray Soft Tissue Lateral Neck View: Assesses adenoid size relative to nasopharyngeal airway. Narrowed airway; >50% obstruction significant. Calculates Adenoid-Nasopharyngeal (A/N) ratio.
  • Confirmation & Grading: From endoscopic/radiological findings.

Lateral neck X-ray: Adenoid hypertrophy

⭐ Nasal endoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis, but X-ray soft tissue lateral view of nasopharynx is a common, non-invasive investigation.

Treatment Toolkit - Shrink or Snip?

Management hinges on symptom severity and associated complications.

  • Medical Management (Shrink):
    • Nasal corticosteroids (e.g., fluticasone, mometasone) are first-line.
    • Saline nasal irrigation.
    • Antihistamines if an allergic component is present.
  • Surgical Management (Snip) - Adenoidectomy:
    • Typically considered for children aged >3 years unless severe obstruction or complications arise earlier.

    • Key Indications for Adenoidectomy:

      IndicationCore Criteria
      Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)Significant airway obstruction during sleep
      Recurrent Acute Otitis Media≥3 episodes in 6 months / ≥4 in 12 months
      Chronic Suppurative Otitis MediaPersistent discharge despite medical Rx
      Chronic RhinosinusitisSymptoms refractory to medical therapy
      Craniofacial Growth AbnormalityE.g., "Adenoid facies", dental malocclusion
      Failure of Conservative RxPersistent, significant symptoms

Exam Crux: Adenoidectomy is contraindicated in patients with an overt or submucous cleft palate (uncorrected) without prior comprehensive velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) assessment, due to risk of post-operative hypernasal speech.

High-Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Adenoid facies (open mouth, dull expression, elongated face) is a classic sign.
  • Commonly causes nasal obstruction, mouth breathing, and snoring.
  • Associated with otitis media with effusion (OME) due to Eustachian tube dysfunction.
  • Diagnosis often clinical; X-ray lateral neck view (soft tissue) can confirm.
  • Adenoidectomy is the definitive treatment for symptomatic hypertrophy.
  • Peak incidence: 3-7 years of age.
  • May lead to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in severe cases.

Practice Questions: Adenoid Hypertrophy

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Treatment of a 6-year-old child with recurrent URI, mouth breathing, failure to grow with high arched palate and impaired hearing is

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Flashcards: Adenoid Hypertrophy

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In Chronic _____ tonsillitis, tonsils are small but infected, with history of repeated sore throats.

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

In Chronic _____ tonsillitis, tonsils are small but infected, with history of repeated sore throats.

fibroid

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