[Investigation of Helicobacter pylori colonization in pharyngeal and palatine tonsils with rapid urease test and immunohistochemical analysis].
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the presence and frequency of Helicobacter pylori in palatine and pharyngeal tonsil tissues of children.


METHODS
The study included 20 patients (15 males, 5 females; mean age 8.2 years; range 5 to 13 years) with chronic or recurrent tonsillitis and/or snoring. Of these, 17 patients underwent adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy, two patients underwent adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy with bilateral ventilation tube insertion, and one patient underwent adenoidectomy with bilateral ventilation tube insertion. H. pylori colonization was sought in all tonsillar specimens by rapid urease test and immunohistochemical analysis.


RESULTS
Rapid urease test showed H. pylori colonization in the palatine and pharyngeal tonsil specimens of one patient (5%), whereas immunohistochemical analysis showed four H. pylori-positive patients (20%), whose pharyngeal tonsil (n=2) or palatine tonsil (n=2) specimens were individually affected.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of H. pylori in both palatine and pharyngeal tonsil tissues of children suggests that these tissues can be a reservoir for H. pylori.
Dağtekin-Ergür
Emine Nur
EN
Department of Otolaryngology, Denizli Tavas State Hospital, Denizli, Turkey. drend77@yahoo.com
Eren
Funda
F
Ustün
Mustafa Burak
MB
Eren
Yusuf
Y
Taş
Ebru
E
Gürsel
Ali Okan
AO
D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000234:Adenoids / Q000382:microbiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014510:Urease
D014510:Urease