Effect of adenoid hypertrophy on the voice and laryngeal mucosa in children.

INTRODUCTION

The adenoids, or pharyngeal tonsils, are lymphatic tissue localized at the mucous layer of the roof and posterior wall of nasopharynx. Dysphonia defined as perceptual audible change of a patient's habitual voice as self judged or judged by his or her listeners. The diagnosis of dysphonia relies on clinical judgment based on phoniatric symptoms, auditory perceptual assessment of voice (APA) and full laryngeal examination.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adenoid hypertrophy on voice and laryngeal mucosa. The study sample composed of sixty children, forty of them had adenoid hypertrophy (patient's group) and twenty healthy children (control group). Patient's group composed of 17 boys (42.5%) and 23 girls (57.5%), while control group consists of 8 males (40%) and 12 females (60%). All patients and control group subjected to history taking, clinical examination, lateral soft tissue X-ray on the nasopharynx, APA based on the modified GRBAS scale and full laryngeal examination. The data are collected and analyzed statistically by using software SPSS.

RESULTS

Our results showed that there is a significant association between adenoid hypertrophy and, degree of dysphonia, leaky voice, pitch of voice and laryngeal lesion. Adenoid hypertrophy did not associate with loudness of voice, as well as character (irregular, breathy and strained). Laryngeal lesions were detected in thirteen children from patient group (32.5%): nodules (n = 6), thickening (n = 5), congestion (n = 2), while one child only out of 20 children of the control group had congestion (5.0%).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed the importance of the assessment of voice and laryngeal examination in patients with adenoid hypertrophy, also treating the minimal mucosal lesions that results from adenoid hypertrophy should be taken in consideration.