抄録
A pediatric case of dyspnea treated with tonsillectomy is described, and our indications and timing of tonsillectomy in infants and children are discussed. 24-month-old boy with inborn stridor was referred to our department with a 3-day history of cyanosis on crying associated with symptoms of a common cold. He weighed 7.8kg and was 75cm tall. Findings included labored breathing, and both sternal depression and paradoxical movement of the thorax were evident. The child had grade III hypertrophic tonsils according to the grading system of Mackenzie. Because of severe nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea, he was reached with antibiotics and an airway was inserted, followed by tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Since his symptoms of dyspnea including stridor disappeared, he was discharged from the hospital 7 days after the surgery. His food intake and daily activity increased postoperatively. Subsequent growth has been uneventful and he has reached 89cm in height and 14 kg in weight over the past 12 months since surgery.
Although tonsillectomy in children has been controversial because of the importance of the immune response in the tonsils, we suggest that this surgical treatment is useful in patients with any of the following indications: marked dyspnea, feeding disturbance and suppression of weight gain.
