role of tonsillectomy in the treat-ment of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis

ABSTRACT

Fifty cases of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis were studies in the department of Otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery of Civil Hospital Karachi. In half of the patients with proven tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis, tonsillectomy was performed and subjected to histopathological examination. The main purpose was to establish the value of tonsillectomy as a part of the treatment for tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis. Tonsillectomised patients and the non-tonsillectomised patients were put on antituberculous therapy. The response to antituberculous therapy was same in both groups of the patients at 3 months and 9 months period following start of the therapy. It was concluded that tonsillectomy has no value in the treatment of tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis