THE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL RESULTS OF ROUTINE TONSILLECTOMY SPECIMENS
Mersin Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi, Kulak Burun Boğaz Anabilim Dalı, Mersin, Türkiye Objective: Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures especially in the pediatric age group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histopathological results of tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy specimens.Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective review of histopathologic reports on all patients in both pediatric and adult age groups undergoing tonsillectomy and adenotonsillectomy during the last 8 years. A total of 429 patient records were reviewed. There were 348 patients in the pediatric group and 81 patients in the adult group.
Results: None of the children had a malignancy while 4 adult patients had a malignancy; however, all of the 4 adult patients had undergone tonsillectomy with the suspicion of malignancy.
Conclusion: Routine histopathological evaluation of tonsillectomy specimens may be unnecessary especially in the pediatric age group; however in patients who have certain preoperative risk factors a histopathologic evaluation is mandatory.
Keywords : Tonsillectomy, adenotonsillectomy, malignancy