Adenoiditis

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox

WikiDoc Resources for Adenoiditis

Articles

Most recent articles on Adenoiditis

Most cited articles on Adenoiditis

Review articles on Adenoiditis

Articles on Adenoiditis in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Adenoiditis

Images of Adenoiditis

Photos of Adenoiditis

Podcasts & MP3s on Adenoiditis

Videos on Adenoiditis

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Adenoiditis

Bandolier on Adenoiditis

TRIP on Adenoiditis

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Adenoiditis at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Adenoiditis

Clinical Trials on Adenoiditis at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Adenoiditis

NICE Guidance on Adenoiditis

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Adenoiditis

CDC on Adenoiditis

Books

Books on Adenoiditis

News

Adenoiditis in the news

Be alerted to news on Adenoiditis

News trends on Adenoiditis

Commentary

Blogs on Adenoiditis

Definitions

Definitions of Adenoiditis

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Adenoiditis

Discussion groups on Adenoiditis

Patient Handouts on Adenoiditis

Directions to Hospitals Treating Adenoiditis

Risk calculators and risk factors for Adenoiditis

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Adenoiditis

Causes & Risk Factors for Adenoiditis

Diagnostic studies for Adenoiditis

Treatment of Adenoiditis

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Adenoiditis

International

Adenoiditis en Espanol

Adenoiditis en Francais

Business

Adenoiditis in the Marketplace

Patents on Adenoiditis

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Adenoiditis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Adenoiditis is the inflammation of the adenoid tissue, usually caused by an infection. Adenoiditis is treated using medication (antibiotics and/or steroids) or surgical intervention.

Adenoiditis may present with cold like symptoms. However, adenoiditis symptoms often persist for ten or more days, and often include pus like discharge from nose.

The infection cause is usually viral. However, if the adenoiditis is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be prescribed for treatment. A steroidal nasal spray may also be prescribed in order to reduce nasal congestion. Severe or recurring adenoiditis may require surgical removal of the adenoids (adenotonsillectomy).

History and Symptoms

Symptoms

Acute adenoiditis is characterized by fever, runny nose, nasal airway obstruction resulting in predominantly oral breathing, snoring and sleep apnea, rhinorrhea with serous secretion in viral forms and mucous-purulent secretion in bacterial forms. In cases due to viral infection symptoms usually recede spontaneously after 48 hours, symptoms of bacterial adenoiditis typically persist up to a week. Adenoiditis is sometimes accompanied by tonsillitis. Repeated adenoiditis may lead to enlarged adenoids.

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Complications

Complications of acute adenoiditis can occur due to extension of inflammation to the neighboring organs.

Causes

Bacterial Causes

Bacterial causes include Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and various species of Staphylococcus including Staphylococcus aureus.

Viral Causes

Viruses that may cause adenoiditis include adenovirus, rhinovirus and paramyxovirus.

Other Imaging Findings

Optical fiber endoscopy can confirm the diagnosis of adenoiditis in cases of doubt by directly visualizing the inflamed adenoid.

Medical Therapy

Pharmacotherapy

In cases of viral adenoiditis, treatment with analgesics or antipyretics is often sufficient. Bacterial adenoiditis may be treated with antibiotics, such as amoxicillin - clavulanic acid or a cephalosporin. In case of adenoid hypertrophy, adenoidectomy may be performed to remove the adenoid.

Epidemiology and Demographics

Age

Adenoiditis occurs mainly in childhood, often associated with acute tonsillitis. Incidence decreases with age, with adenoiditis being rare in children over 15 years due to physiological atrophy of the adenoid tissue.

Related Chapters