Helicobacter pylori in the tonsillar tissue: a possible association with chronic tonsillitis and laryngopharyngeal reflux.
OBJECTIVE
To identify Helicobacter pylori infection in tonsillar tissue samples from patients undergoing tonsillectomy for chronic tonsillitis versus tonsillar hypertrophy, and to assess the possible relationships between H pylori and patients' sociodemographic data and laryngopharyngeal reflux.


METHODS
In this prospective study, 97 patients who underwent tonsillectomy were divided into the following 2 groups: patients with chronic tonsillitis (n = 62) and patients with tonsillar hypertrophy (control group; n = 35). H pylori infection in the tonsillar biopsy samples was identified using histochemical and rapid urease tests.


RESULTS
The incidence of H pylori infection was significantly higher in the chronic tonsillitis group (56.5 per cent) compared to the control group (31.4 per cent). Similar findings were obtained for both subgroups of adults (68.6 vs 42.3 per cent) and children (40.7 vs 0.0 per cent). Significant relationships between a positive H pylori finding and laryngopharyngeal reflux related signs of vocal fold oedema, diffuse laryngeal oedema and hypertrophy of the posterior commissure were revealed.


CONCLUSIONS
H pylori infection may be related to chronic tonsillitis and laryngopharyngeal reflux.
Faculty of Health Sciences,Klaipeda University,Kaunas,Lithuania.
N
N
Siupsinskiene
ENT department,Klaipeda Republic Hospital,Kaunas,Lithuania.
I
I
Katutiene
ENT department,Klaipeda Republic Hospital,Kaunas,Lithuania.
V
V
Jonikiene
Department of Pathologic Anatomy,Academy of Medicine,Lithuanian University of Health Sciences,Kaunas,Lithuania.
D
D
Janciauskas
Department of Otolaryngology,Academy of Medicine,Lithuanian University of Health Sciences,Kaunas,Lithuania.
S
S
Vaitkus
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000382:microbiology; D057045:Laryngopharyngeal Reflux / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D014510:Urease / Q000032:analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D014510:Urease
Helicobacter Pylori; Hypertrophy; Laryngopharyngeal Reflux; Tonsillitis