Adenoid Vegetation in Children with Allergic Rhinitis.

Objective: Pediatric patients with nasal obstruction due to adenoid vegetation (AV) can also encounter allergic rhinitis (AR) as a comorbidity. The aim of the study was to estimate the incidence of mite sensitization and its effect on adenoid size in children who underwent adenoidectomy.

Methods: This prospective randomized study conducted between August and September 2014 included 84 children. Skin Prick Test (SPT) for inhalant allergens was preoperatively applied to all children who underwent adenoidectomy for nasal obstruction. Children were divided into two study groups: AV only (Group I) (n=52) and AV with and/or allergy (Group II) (n=32). Postoperative specimen volumes, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and adenoid volumes measured using flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy were compared between the two groups.

Results: Postoperative specimen volume measures were higher in Group II compared with those in Group I (p<0.05). Furthermore, in preoperative endoscopic examination, adenoid volume measures were higher in Group II compared with those in Group I (p<0.05). Pre and postoperative VAS scores in SPT+ group were higher in the Group II (p<0.05) than those in Group I.

Conclusion: We observed that children with AR tend to have an early onset of symptoms of adenoid hypertrophy. We believe that focusing on the management of role of allergy regarding these early symptoms will reduce the need for surgery in a large number of cases. We suggest that SPT must be performed in all children with AV and adenoid examination should not be neglected in children with AR.