Indicators for Tonsillectomy in Adults with Recurrent Tonsillitis

Palatine tonsils are a part of the immune system in
the upper aerodigestive tract that serves as the
first line of defence against harmful environmental
factors. Paradoxically, palatine tonsils themselves
are quite frequently affected by infectious agents,
which may lead to recurrent tonsillitis. A leading
therapeutic approach for such a condition has been
tonsillectomy. The recommendation for
tonsillectomy has depended primarily on the frequency
of tonsillitis episodes. However, there is no
worldwide agreement whether a specific number of
tonsillitis episodes over a certain period of time
warrants tonsillectomy. Adult patients often have
fewer or less severe tonsillitis episodes, but
frequently demonstrate systemic manifestations of
chronic inflammation, such as poor general health,
tiredness, lowered resistance, tendency to catch
colds, unexplained fever or the presence of comorbid
diseases. There is no consensus whether such features
of recurrent tonsillitis could be accepted as the
indications for tonsillectomy. Therefore, the present
book focuses on the selection of evidence-based
indicators for tonsillectomy in adults with
recurrents tonsillitis.

Autorentext
Priit Kasenõmm, MD PhD is a researcher at the Department of Microbiology, University of Tartu, and ENT surgeon at the Deparment of Otorhinolaryngology, Tartu University Hospital, Estonia.

Klappentext
Palatine tonsils are a part of the immune system in the upper aerodigestive tract that serves as the first line of defence against harmful environmental factors. Paradoxically, palatine tonsils themselves are quite frequently affected by infectious agents, which may lead to recurrent tonsillitis. A leading therapeutic approach for such a condition has been tonsillectomy. The recommendation for tonsillectomy has depended primarily on the frequency of tonsillitis episodes. However, there is no worldwide agreement whether a specific number of tonsillitis episodes over a certain period of time warrants tonsillectomy. Adult patients often have fewer or less severe tonsillitis episodes, but frequently demonstrate systemic manifestations of chronic inflammation, such as poor general health, tiredness, lowered resistance, tendency to catch colds, unexplained fever or the presence of comorbid diseases. There is no consensus whether such features of recurrent tonsillitis could be accepted as the indications for tonsillectomy. Therefore, the present book focuses on the selection of evidence-based indicators for tonsillectomy in adults with recurrents tonsillitis.