In children with chronic rhinitis (persistent nasal inflammation), enlarged adenoids - known as adenoid hypertrophy (AH) - turn out to be extremely common, affecting about 74% of cases according to a new study by Dr. Ejaz Yousef and team, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The researchers reviewed records from 82 kids and found no major difference in AH rates between allergic and non-allergic forms of rhinitis. While AH often gets blamed for making asthma worse (through blocked nasal passages and downstream effects on the lower airways), the study showed it doesn't independently predict how severe a child's asthma will be.
The most encouraging finding? In children with both AH and asthma who underwent adenoidectomy (surgical removal of the adenoids), a striking 86% experienced noticeable clinical improvement.
Bottom line for parents and clinicians: Adenoid hypertrophy is frequent in kids with chronic nasal symptoms, but it's not the sole driver of asthma severity. Addressing rhinitis subtypes and considering adenoidectomy in appropriate cases could be valuable pieces of a broader airway management plan. More research will help clarify who benefits most from surgery.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674925019293