Comparing Flexible Nasal Endoscopy and Lateral Neck Radiography When Diagnosing Children with Adenoid Hypertrophy: A...

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Adenoid hypertrophy is a common condition in children, potentially causing airway obstruction and other symptoms.
• Accurate preoperative assessment of adenoid hypertrophy is crucial for surgical planning and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of flexible nasal endoscopy and lateral neck radiography for preoperative grading of adenoid hypertrophy in children.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study reviewed 360 children who underwent adenoidectomy.
• Preoperative adenoid size was assessed using flexible nasal endoscopy or lateral neck radiography.
• Results were compared to intraoperative grading as the reference standard.

Main Results:

• Flexible nasal endoscopy showed better agreement with intraoperative grading (58%) compared to radiography (44.5%).
• Accurate grading was 1.7 times more likely with nasal endoscopy than radiography (OR=1.72).
• The difference in accuracy between the two methods was statistically significant (p=0.028).

Conclusions:

• Flexible nasal endoscopy is a more reliable method than lateral neck radiography for preoperative grading of adenoid hypertrophy in pediatric patients.
• Endoscopic assessment offers improved accuracy for surgical planning in pediatric adenoidectomy.