Tonsillectomy Found Effective in Adults

Tonsillectomy is an effective remedy for adults with recurrent bouts of group A streptococcal pharyngitis, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Oulu (Finland) enrolled 70 adults in a randomized prospective study of adults with recurrent streptococcal pharyngitis (defined as three or more episodes in six months or four episodes in a year). The study wished to examine the effectiveness of tonsillectomy in adults. Thirty-six patients were randomized to immediate surgery, and 34 remained on the waiting list as controls. The primary outcome was the percentage change in the risk of an episode of streptococcal pharyngitis at 90 days.

The results showed that tonsillectomy sharply reduced the number of acute episodes of pharyngitis, compared with watchful waiting. There were no serious adverse effects other than about two weeks of throat pain after the surgery. At 90 days, streptococcal pharyngitis had recurred in eight of the control patients (24%). One patient (3%) in the tonsillectomy group had a recurrence. The mean number of medical consultations for pharyngitis was 0.9 in the control group and 0.1 in the tonsillectomy group. The mean number of episodes of pharyngitis was 2.1 in the control group and 0.6 in the tonsillectomy group. The controls also had significantly more days with sore throat and fever, and rhinitis was higher, but not significantly so. The study was published in the May 5, 2007 issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Traditionally, tonsillectomy has been used to prevent recurrent streptococcal throat infections,” concluded lead author Olli-Pekka Alho, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Oulu, and colleagues. "We think that the immediate effect of tonsillectomy reflects its overall usefulness.”


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