Do tonsils regrow after partial tonsillectomy? - Histology of regrown tonsils and predisposing factors for tonsillar regrowth.

OBJECTIVES

It has been suggested that after partial tonsillectomy, referred here as tonsillotomy (TT), the remaining tonsillar tissue might be altered, leading to scarring or chronic tonsillitis. The objectives were to compare the histology of regrown tonsillar tissues with native tonsils and to assess the incidence of reoperations and predictive factors for tonsillar regrowth after TT.

METHODS

Tonsillar tissues of 1) children that underwent TT and later requiring resurgery and 2) children operated on for the first time with TT were prospectively analysed. To assess the incidence of resurgery because of tonsillar regrowth and predictive factors for tonsillar regrowth, the data covering TTs and tonsillectomies performed in 2009-2020 were retrospectively retrieved.

RESULTS

Altogether 11 children formed the regrowth group, with the control group consisting of 19 children. In the histological analysis of tonsillar tissues, neutrophil infiltration in the epithelium and crypts and severe lymphoplasmacytic infiltration in the epithelium were significantly more frequent in samples of the regrowth group relative to the control group. The number of germinal centres was greater in the regrowth group. In the retrospective analysis of 3141 children, the incidence of resurgery after primary TT was 1.9%. Logistic regression analysis showed that age was the only significant predisposing factor for resurgery.

CONCLUSION

Inflammatory cells were present more often in regrown tonsillar tissues but there was no evidence of severe chronic inflammation or scarring in the regrown tonsils. The risk of resurgery after TT was low. Young age predisposed to tonsillar regrowth, no other risk factors were found.