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Palatine tonsil size in obese, overweight, and normal-weight children with sleep-disordered breathing

Jong Hwan Wang1, Yoo-Sam Chung, Young-Wook Cho

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. entwang@naver.com

Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery : Official Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
|March 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Obese children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) have significantly larger palatine tonsils than normal-weight children. This indicates that enlarged tonsils may contribute more to airway obstruction in obese children with SDB.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Otolaryngology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a common condition in children.
  • Obesity is a known risk factor for SDB.
  • Palatine tonsil hypertrophy is a primary cause of upper airway obstruction in pediatric SDB.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between obesity and palatine tonsil size in children diagnosed with SDB.
  • To compare objective and subjective measurements of tonsil size between obese and non-obese children with SDB.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care rhinology clinic.
  • Objective and subjective palatine tonsil dimensions (height, width, thickness, weight, volume) were measured.
  • Comparisons were made between obese children with SDB and their matched controls, and overweight children with SDB and their matched controls.

Main Results:

  • Obese children with SDB exhibited significantly larger objective palatine tonsil size, including tonsil volume (TV), compared to normal-weight controls.
  • Subjective tonsil size did not differ significantly between obese children and controls.
  • No significant differences in objective or subjective tonsil size were found between overweight children and their matched controls with SDB.

Conclusions:

  • Obese children with SDB present with significantly larger palatine tonsils than their normal-weight counterparts.
  • Enlarged palatine tonsils in obese children with SDB may play a more substantial role in upper airway obstruction.
  • Objective tonsil measurements are crucial for assessing the impact of obesity on tonsil size in pediatric SDB.
Abstract

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