Tonsillectomy and autoantibodies in patients with habitual tonsillitis

Tonsillectomy is virtually a routine operation now for ENT surgeons, but its immunological evaluation is still obscure. We have carried out an investigation in 57 patients who visited our clinic, with reference to autoantibodies by the immunofluorescence technique. We found autoantibodies at a higher frequency after tonsillectomy than before tonsillectomy in the young age group. There are studies that report close correlation of autoantibodies and malignancy. Since there are few reports that mention the relationship of the presence of autoantibodies and tonsillectomy, we have emphasized here careful follow-up of the patients from this standpoint.