Correlation between Clinical and Radiographic Findings in the Assessment of Adenoid Hypertrophy

Abstract

BACKGROUND The significance of radiological assessment in the treatment plan of patients with adenoid hypertrophy cannot be undermined. This study evaluated the correlation between clinical symptoms and radiological findings in the clinical assessment of patients with adenoid hypertrophy. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted by recruiting 147 individuals aged between 1 to 27 years from September 2017 to February 2018. Clinical assessment was performed through questionnaires prepared for primary caregivers. Radiographic findings were obtained through lateral nasopharyngeal radiographs. Frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation, chi-square analysis, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyse the collected data via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). RESULTS A positive correlation was observed between clinical presentations of snoring and adenoid thickness. No significant correlations were observed between mouth breathing, obstructive breathing during sleep, and the total clinical score obtained with the nasopharyngeal diameter. A significant correlation of nasopharyngeal diameter with mouth breathing and soft palate thickness was noted. The ratio of soft-palate tissue was also significantly correlated with nasopharyngeal diameter. CONCLUSIONS Findings revealed a significant correlation between mouth breathing with all the radiological findings at 5% level of significance. It also suggests that suspected adenoid hypertrophy in children can be treated with lateral radiograph of the nasopharynx for better treatment outcomes.