Evaluation of the utility of histopathologic exam as a routine in tonsillectomies.

UNLABELLED: Tonsillectomy is one of the most commonly performed procedures of the head and neck. It is performed for a wide variety of indications in both adults and children. It is common to send the material achieved in the surgery to routine histopathologic exam, as to analyze suspected material or for a medical-legal documentation.

OBJECTIVE

Analyze the utility and cost of routine histopathologic diagnosis for tonsillectomy.

METHODOLOGY: retrospective study of the histopathologic result of all tonsillectomies between 1978 and 2004 in a university hospital and analyzed the files of the patients with cancer.

RESULTS

2103 results of histopathologic exams were analyzed. Of these, only four cases presented any case of malignancy, being all of these non-Hodgkin lymphoma and already suspected before the surgery.

DISCUSSION: The world literature has encountered similar results and each time more the histopathologic analysis of all cases is questioned. The cost of the exam is high and your results, in the case of malignancy were already knew before the surgery.

CONCLUSION

Histopathologic analysis of all tonsillectomies is not indicated. The risks factors established by Beaty should guide the solicitation of the exam, to try to low the costs with unnecessary exams.