Abstract
Purpose: During my 40 years of performing tonsillectomy, I have noticed that tonsils seem to increase in size with aging. The purpose was to study the relationship between the weight of tonsils and patients’ age. Subjects and Methods: Tonsillectomies were performed in 1246 patients diagnosed with sleep disorders with hypertrophied tonsils. The excised tonsils were weighed. Results: 1) The number of male tonsillectomy cases was 2.3 times higher than the number of female cases; 2) Most tonsillectomies were performed in children three to six years of age, and in adults who were around 30 years old; 3) The maximum age of the male patients was 57 years and that of the female patients was 63 years; 4) The weight of tonsils increased with age in the males, but the maximum weight of female tonsils was reached at around nine years of age; 5) Tonsils of males were heavier and larger than those of females of the same age; 6) A high degree of correlation was observed between the weights of the right and left tonsils of a subject. Conclusions: 1) The weight of tonsils increased with growth; 2) Tonsils in males were more hypertrophic than those in females; 3) The age distribution of the cases suggested that the lifespan of these patients is shorter than the norm; 4) The ideal age at which to perform tonsillectomy is thought in two to three years; 5) A high degree of corelation eixists between the weight of the right and left tonsils of a subject.
Highlights
Introduction and PurposeTonsillar hypertrophy is diagnosed clinically when tonsils protrude from the oral anterior pillars
1) The number of male tonsillectomy cases was 2.3 times higher than the number of female cases; 2) Most tonsillectomies were performed in children three to six years of age, and in adults who were around 30 years old; 3) The maximum age of the male patients was 57 years and that of the female patients was 63 years; 4) The weight of tonsils increased with age in the males, but the maximum weight of female tonsils was reached at around nine years of age; 5) Tonsils of males were heavier and larger than those of females of the same age; 6) A high degree of correlation was observed between the weights of the right and left tonsils of a subject
1) The weight of tonsils increased with growth; 2) Tonsils in males were more hypertrophic than those in females; 3) The age distribution of the cases suggested that the lifespan of these patients is shorter than the norm; 4) The ideal age at which to perform tonsillectomy is thought in two to three years; 5) A high degree of corelation eixists between the weight of the right and left tonsils of a subject
Summary
Tonsillar hypertrophy is diagnosed clinically when tonsils protrude from the oral anterior pillars. It is not rare that at the first inspection both tonsils protrude from the anterior pillars and almost touch each other. The tonsils are not as large as suspected at the first inspection. The actual size of tonsils cannot be determined only from inspection of tonsils in the mouth [1,2,3,4]. The real volume and weight of a tonsil can be appreciated only after tonsillectomy. Clinical tonsillar hypertrophy comprises both relatively bulky tonsils and heavy tonsils [5, 6]
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