title: The efficacy of tonsillectomy in chronic tonsillitis patients as demonstrated by the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy are the oldest surgical procedures. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is an inflammatory marker. This study aimed to investigate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios in chronic tonsillitis patients and to determine whether this ratio reflects the pre- and post-operative inflammatory status in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients and healthy individuals were assigned to four groups: the adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, chronic tonsillitis and control groups. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was calculated for each patient before surgery and one month post-surgery. Pre- and post-operative white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were compared both within and between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre- and post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were significantly higher in the chronic tonsillitis group than in the adenoid hypertrophy and adenotonsillar hypertrophy groups (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In the chronic tonsillitis group, post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were significantly lower than pre-operative ratios (p = 0.045). The pre-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in the chronic tonsillitis group than in the adenoid hypertrophy, adenotonsillar hypertrophy and control groups (p = 0.000). In contrast, there was no significant difference in post-operative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios among all groups (p = 0.584).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio measurement can be used in chronic tonsillitis patients as an effective auxiliary method for determining the necessity and timing of tonsillectomy and post-operative follow up, thereby helping prevent complications due to delayed or inadequate treatment.
authors: Konya Hospital,Otorhinolaryngology Clinic,Konya,Turkey.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Yenigun
mesh_terms: D000234:Adenoids / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology*; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Tonsillitis