Patient's question:
A 4.5-year-old child is fine during the day but starts snoring at night and sometimes experiences difficulty breathing. The neighbor suspects the child has enlarged adenoids. How can adenoid hypertrophy be checked?Doctor's answer:
How to check for adenoid hypertrophy:1. Facial examination: The child may breathe through the mouth, and sometimes the "adenoid face" can be observed.
2. Oropharyngeal examination: The hard palate is high and narrow, often accompanied by palatine tonsillar hypertrophy.
3. Anterior rhinoscopy: After fully contracting the nasal mucosa, an examination may reveal a red, mass-like elevation in the nasopharynx.
4. Fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy: The posterior and superior walls of the nasopharynx show lobulated lymphoid tissue with longitudinal fissures, resembling half of an unpeeled orange.
5. Palpation: Using fingers for nasopharyngeal palpation, a soft, mass-like structure can be felt on the superior and posterior walls of the nasopharynx.
6. Radiographic examination: X-ray lateral nasopharyngeal imaging is helpful for diagnosis.
The above are the necessary examinations for adenoid hypertrophy. It is important to diagnose and treat adenoid hypertrophy promptly. If left untreated, it can severely harm health. Adenoid hypertrophy can lead to other complications, and in rare cases, chronic nasal obstruction and long-term hypoxia may result in cor pulmonale or even acute heart failure.
It is recommended to seek examination at a specialized hospital as early as possible to detect the condition early and receive timely treatment. For treatment, it is advisable to visit a public tertiary hospital for minimally invasive surgery, which is currently the best technique for treating adenoid hypertrophy.