Abstract
Persistent rhinorrhoea is a common, yet often neglected, problem among Indian children. This study was designed to evaluate the relative etiological importance of adenoid hypertrophy versus sinusitis in children with persistent rhinorrhea. Additionally, the association between S. pneumoniae colonization and adenoid hypertrophy was studied. Children aged 1–14 years with persistent rhinorrhea underwent clinical evaluation, rigid nasal endoscopy and xrays of the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses to ascertain the presence of adenoid hypertrophy and sinusitis using standard criteria. Nasopharyngeal swabbing to ascertain the presence of nasopharyngeal colonization with S. pneumoniae was also performed. Adenoid hypertrophy was more consistently associated with persistent rhinorrhea than sinusitis (p < 0.0001). Coincident adenoid hypertrophy and sinusitis occurred in 57 %. S. pneumoniae was cultured in only 29 % of children. Up to 47 % of patients had features of nasal allergy. There was no association between S. pneumoniae colonization and adenoid hypertrophy (p = 0.1). Adenoid hypertrophy is an important cause of persistent rhinorrhea in children. Measures to evaluate for and treat adenoid hypertrophy should be instituted early to alleviate the problem of persistent rhinorrhoea in children. S. pneumoniae colonization of the nasopharynx is not a major etiological factor for persistent rhinorrhoea in these children. Nasal allergy may be a cause of adenoid hypertrophy in roughly half the children.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cherian T, Bhattacharji S, Brahmadathan KN, Lalitha MK, Raghupathy P, Steinhoff MC (2000) Persistent rhinorrhoea in rural Indian children. J Trop Pediatr 46:365–367
Sophia A, Isaac R, Rebekah G, Brahmadathan K, Rupa V (2010) Risk factors for otitis media amongpreschool, rural Indian children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 74:677–683
Shin KS, Cho SH, Kim KR, Tae K, Lee SH, Park CW et al (2008) The role of adenoids in pediatric rhinosinusitis. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 72:1643–1650
Lee D, Rosenfeld RM (1997) Adenoid bacteriology and sinonasal symptoms in children. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 116:301–307
Bercin AS, Ural A, Kutluhan A, Yurttas V (2007) Relationship between sinusitis and adenoid size in pediatric age group. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 116:550–553
Brook I (2003) Microbial dynamics of purulent nasopharyngitis in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 67:1047–1053
Cassano P, Gelardi M, Cassano M, Fiorella ML, Fiorella R (2003) Adenoid tissue rhinopharyngeal obstruction grading based on fiberendoscopic findings: a novel approach to therapeutic management. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 67:1303–1309
Wormald PJ, Prescott J (1992) Adenoids: comparison of radiological assessment methods with clinical and endoscopic findings. J Laryngol Otol 106:342–344
Tuncer U, Aydogan B, Soylu L, Simsek M, Akcali C, Kucukcan A (2004) Chronic rhinosinusitis and adenoid hypertrophy in children. Am J Otolaryngol 25:5–10
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Maheswaran, S., Rupa, V., Ebenezer, J. et al. Relative Etiological Importance of Adenoid Hypertrophy Versus Sinusitis in Children with Persistent Rhinorrhoea. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 67, 34–38 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-014-0743-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-014-0743-1