Role of tonsillectomy in histology for adults with unilateral tonsillar enlargement.

Unilateral tonsillar enlargement (UTE) may indicate malignancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the necessity of tonsillectomy for histological examination as a routine practice for every such case. We attempted to identify every adult who had tonsillectomy in our unit from January 1991 to January 2000 in whom the indication for operation was unilateral tonsillar enlargement.

Tonsillectomy for biopsy in children with unilateral tonsillar enlargement.

Objective: Unilateral tonsillar enlargement (UTE) may be a sign of underlying malignancy and tonsillectomy is often recommended for histology. The limited evidence available suggests that the incidence of malignancy in children with UTE is very low, and that in many cases, the apparent enlargement is due to asymmetry of the mucosa of the tonsillar pillars. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the necessity of tonsillectomy as a routine practice for every case of UTE.