gms | German Medical Science

76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

No standard in Germany concerning the necessety of histopathological examination of adenoids or tonsils in children

Meeting Abstract

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Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno582

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno034.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Dost.
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Outline

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Background: It is more and more doubted, that adenoids or tonsils have to be examined histologically in paediatric cases, in which history and clinical signs and symptoms are conclusive for chronic inflammation or hyperplasia. It is unknown whether there is any conformity about this question in Germany.

Method: Heads of all clinical departments of oto-rhino-laryngology (n =149) and a similar number of ENT-specialists from the Berufsverband Deutscher HNO-Ärzte (n =150) were interviewed by a simple questionnaire. They were asked, if they would send resected tissue to histopathological examination routinely in a case of child, up to 10 years old, presenting with a history and a status of chronical inflammation or hyperplasia undergoing and adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy. Furthermore it was asked, whether they remembered any unusual or surprising report in this group of patients.

Results: Feedback was 79%. All tissue was sent to examination by 59% of the colleagues answering this evaluation; palatine tonsils only were sent to examination by 14% and 27% of the physicians did not sent any tissue to histological work-up. During their professional career 17% of the answering ENT-specialists have noticed any surprising result from the histopathological examination.

Conclusion: We do not have any consensus practiced in Germany concerning the necessity to send tissue to histopathological examination following adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy in children. It seems helpful to seek for such consensus of opinion for medico-legal and socio-economical reasons.