Influence of tonsillar hypertrophy to physical growth and diseases of the nose and the ear in school-age children

Abstract

The authors investigated the influence of faucial tonsillar hypertrophy to physical growth, and diseases of the nose and the ear for 7190 pupils of elementary schools in nine different areas in Japan. Tonsillar hypertrophy seemed to prevent physical growth of pupils of lower grades. In pupils without tonsillar hypertrophy, the number of pupils suffering from rhinitis gradually decreased from 16. 9% in the first grade to 8% in the sixth degree. On the other hand, the number of pupils suffering from rhinitis remained to be large, ranging between 20. 5% and 29. 7% in the group of tonsillar hypertrophy. The number of pupils with hearing loss were much more in the group of tonsillar hypertrophy. Since an only available diagnostic mean of ear disease was an otoscopic examination, a significant number of pupils with serous otitis media may be labeled as hearing loss. For this reason, tonsillar hypertrophy possibly affected the number of pupils with hearing loss. There were no apparent relations between tonsillar hypertrophy and allergic rhinitis, chronic paranasal sinusitis and chronic otitis media. © 1991, The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved.