October 11th 2008
Adenoid Enlargement- want information about causes, symptoms and treatment
What is this condition?
Adenoid enlargement is excessive growth of the tissue of the nasopharynx, the upper part of the pharynx that connects with the nasal passages. This disorder also may be called adenoid hypertrophy or hyperplasia.
Normally, adenoidal tissue is small at birth (¾ to 1½ inches, or 2 to 3 centimeters), grows until the child reaches adolescence, and then begins to slowly shrink. In adenoid enlargement, however, this tissue continues to grow. Adenoid enlargement is a fairly common childhood condition.
What causes it?
The precise cause of adenoid enlargement is unknown, but factors that may contribute to it include heredity, repeated infection, chronic nasal congestion, persistent allergy, insufficient aeration, and inefficient nasal breathing. Inflammation resulting from repeated infection increases the risk of obstructed breathing.
What are its symptoms?
Typically, adenoid enlargement causes symptoms of obstructed breathing, including mouth breathing, snoring at night, and frequent, prolonged nasal congestion.
Persistent mouth breathing during the formative years produces distinctive changes in facial features - a slightly elongated face, open mouth, highly arched palate, shortened upper lip, and a vacant expression. Occasionally, the child is incapable of mouth breathing, snores loudly at night, and may eventually show effects of nocturnal respiratory insufficiency, such as nasal flaring. The child may develop a lung condition called pulmonary hypertension and a heart disease caused by pulmonary hypertension called cor pulmonale. Adenoid enlargement may also predispose the child to middle ear infection, which in turn can lead to fluctuating conductive hearing loss. Retained nasal secretions from adenoidal inflammation can lead to sinus infection.
How is it diagnosed?
The doctor can confirm this disorder using X-rays and by examining the nasal passages and the pharynx using an instrument called an endoscope.
How Adenoid Enlargement istreated?
Surgical adenoid removal (adenoidectomy) is the treatment of choice for adenoid enlargement and is commonly recommended for a person with prolonged mouth breathing, nasal speech, facial features associated with adenoid enlargement, recurrent middle ear infection, constant nasopharyngitis, and nighttime respiratory distress. This procedure usually eliminates recurrent nasal infections and ear complications and reverses any secondary hearing loss.
Tagged under:hyperplasia, hypertrophy, nasopharynx pharynx