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Updated: Mar 3, 2026
CO2-Lasertonsillotomy Under Local Anesthesia in Adults
Published on: November 6, 2019
Appendectomy, tonsillectomy, and risk for sarcoidosis - A hospital-based case-control study in Japan
Michiru Sawahata1, Yosikazu Nakamura2, Yukihiko Sugiyama1
1Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
Background:
The role of surgery in the onset of sarcoidosis is unclear. We investigated whether surgery is an internal environmental factor for sarcoidosis onset within the Japanese population.
Methods:
We enrolled 222 patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis (78 men, 144 women) who were admitted to our department between 1984 and 2012. We also enrolled 529 control subjects (251 men, 278 women), who were matched for sex, age at admission, and year of admission. Surgical history, family history, and smoking status were evaluated.
Results:
Multivariate analysis correlated history of appendectomy (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.05-2.29) and tonsillectomy (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 0.91-8.56) with the occurrence of sarcoidosis; other surgical procedures had no correlation. In women, appendectomy had a stronger association with sarcoidosis (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.05-2.73), as opposed to that in men (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.68-2.85). This association was greater in women aged ≥45 years than in those aged <45 years. There was a stronger correlation between tonsillectomy and sarcoidosis in women (OR, 3.30; 95% CI, 0.88-12.39), than in men (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 0.10-16.52). ORs for sarcoidosis were 5.55 (95% CI, 2.02-15.27) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.52-1.84) in women aged ≥45 years with a history of appendectomy at <20 years and ≥20 years, respectively, with the former being statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Appendix and tonsil removal was associated with sarcoidosis onset, suggesting their potential protective role against sarcoidosis development. Further studies are needed to minimize possible confounding factors.
