Evaluation of upper airways dimensions in hypertrophic adenoid and healthy individuals in Ahvaz Dental School

Due to the association of adenoid hypertrophy with various diseases, timely diagnosis with a simple, inexpensive and low-risk method rather than nasal endoscopy seems to be necessary. In the present study, the dimensions of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and hypopharynx spaces were compared in two groups with hypertrophic adenoid and normal with lateral cephalometric digital radiography. In this descriptive-analytic study, lateral cephalometric digital radiographs were selected from the Radiology Department of Jundishapur School of Dentistry. All eligible stereotypes were examined for the presence or absence of hypertrophic adenoids and were divided into two groups: hypertrophic adenoids (n = 127:, 66 boys ,61 girls) and normal (n = 102). The dimensions of the spaces were calculated in both groups. In the group with hypertrophic adenoid, the size of adenoid and then the ratio of adenoid to nasopharynx(A/N) were calculated. There was a significant difference between the studied spaces in both groups. In patients with hypertrophic adenoids, hypopharynx and nasopharyngeal spaces had a statistically significant positive correlation with age.but there was no significant relationship with sex. There was a significant correlation between adenoid size and age but boys and girls did not have significant differences. There was no significant relationship between A/N ratio in different age and sex groups. The present study indicates that lateral cephalometric radiography alone is not capable of detecting hypertrophic adenoid individuals But it can help diagnose the disease along with the patient's history and clinical symptoms.