Evaluation of Adenoidal Obstruction in Children: Endoscopic Findings in Relation to Radiographic Assessment

Background: Adenoids are one of the commonest clinical conditions affecting paediatric population. Parents usually complain of mouth breathing by child along with snoring, hyponasal speech, nasal obstruction, recurrent cold and sleep apnea. Adenoid hypertrophy and its complication are one of the most common entities encountered by an otorhinolaryngologist in day to day practice.

Aims and Objectives: The study aims at evaluating the role of endoscopic examination of nose and nasopharynx in cases of hypertrophy of adenoids and patients of mouth breathing in paediatric age group.

Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study of 100 patients of age group 2-25 years which was conducted in Department of Otorhinolaryngology, MGM medical college, Indore between October 2017 to October 2018. Patients were thoroughly assessed clinically along with endoscopic and radiological assessment followed by medical management with corticosteroid nasal spray.

Results: In this study 100 cases of chronic mouth breathing & snoring were studied.73% were found in the age group between 6-15 years. Only 8% cases were found in the age group more than 15 years.17% were found below 5 year of age.male female ratio was found nearly 2.4:1in this series,71 and29 patients respectively and significant improvement in adenoid size and endoscopic view was obtained after 4 weeks of steroid nasal spray usage.

Conclusion: Radiological evaluation of the nasopharynx has been established as a method for determination of size, shape and position of adenoids. Diagnostic rigid endoscopy of the nose has now emerged as the ideal tool for investigation of chronic mouth breathing and snoring. Steroid nasal spray is a very effective therapeutic tool for conservative management for adenoid hypertrophy.