[Effect of tonsillotomy on the inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis].

Objective

To investigate the changes of inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis after tonsillotomy.

Methods

Prospectively collected 60 children with obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis with adenoids and tonsillar hypertrophy from January to June 2021. Two groups were divided, the experimental group （n=30） underwent bilateral partial tonsillectomy + adenoidectomy by hypothermia plasma ablation, and the control group （n=30） underwent adenoidectomy by using the same hypothermia plasma ablation method. The number of tonsillitis attacks before surgery and within one year after surgery was recorded, and the serum immunoglobulin IgM, IgG, IgA, complement C3 and complement C4 levels before operation, one month and three months after operation were measured.

Results

The number of tonsillitis attacks in the experimental group and the control group at one year after surgery was lower than that before surgery（P<0.05）; The number of inflammatory attacks in the experimental group was （0.50±0.63） times/year, which was lower than that of （1.33±0.80） times/year in the control group. There was no significant difference in the five immunization results of the two groups at one month and three months after operation compared with before operation, and there was also no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups.

Conclusion

Partial tonsillectomy can be applied to children with chronic tonsillitis, which can effectively reduce the number of tonsillitis attacks and has no effect on the immune function of children.