Adenoid vegetation from the point of view of an ENT specialist and phoniatrist

Abstract

Rhinolalia is the pathological increase or decrease of nasality in speech. One of the most common causes of rhinolalia clausa in children is adenoid vegetation. This is clinically manifested by mechanical obstruction of the nasopharynx, with resulting symptoms such as nasal respiratory distress, snoring, sleep apnoea syndrome, snuffing, obstruction of the tubal torus with subsequent exudate in the middle ear and hearing impairment. It further acts as an infectious focus with a number of complications. Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms, and examination of the nasopharynx, which fully fall within the competence of an ENT specialist. It is often desirable to consult a phoniatrist and speech therapist to assess an as yet undetected submucosal cleft palate. In these cases, removal of the nasal tonsil seems inappropriate. The causal therapy of an enlarged nasal tonsil is its extraction and, in some cases, it is possible to wait for spontaneous involution.

Keywords

• rhinolalia
• adenoid vegetation
• sleep apnoea syndrome
• hearing impairment
• adenotomy