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Tonsillar size in 2- to 14-year-old children with and without snoring

Athanasios G Kaditis1, Loukia Lianou, Souzana Hatzinikolaou

  • 1First University Department of Pediatrics, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Pediatric Pulmonology Clinic, University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece. kaditia@hotmail.com

Pediatric Pulmonology
|November 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is linked to tonsil size in children, with enlargement occurring early and persisting. Snoring impacts tonsil size more than age or obesity in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

  • Limited research exists on tonsil size variations in children based on age, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and obesity.
  • This study aimed to assess tonsil size across different age groups, weight statuses, and SDB prevalence in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between tonsillar size and SDB, age, and obesity in children.
  • To determine how SDB, age, and obesity interact to influence tonsil size.

Main Methods:

  • Recruited 362 children (aged 2-14 years) from emergency and pulmonology clinics.
  • Tonsillar size was graded 1-4; SDB was defined by snoring (≥1 night/week); obesity was defined by BMI z-score (≥1.645).
  • Age was dichotomized (< or =7 years vs. >7 years).

Main Results:

  • SDB, but not age or obesity, significantly correlated with tonsil size (P=0.001).
  • No significant interactions were found between SDB and age or obesity concerning tonsil size.
  • Younger children without SDB had larger tonsils than older children without SDB (P=0.017), while age did not affect tonsil size in children with SDB (P=0.78).

Conclusions:

  • Children with SDB exhibit similar tonsil sizes regardless of age.
  • Older children without snoring have smaller tonsils compared to younger children without snoring.
  • Tonsillar enlargement associated with SDB likely develops in early childhood and remains stable in older children.
Abstract

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