Age-stratified reference ranges for adenoid hypertrophy in children: a single-center retrospective study
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction Adenoid hypertrophy (AH) is prevalent in 35%–70% of the global pediatric population, leading to airway obstruction and sleep disturbances. Current diagnostic criteria for the adenoid-to-nasopharyngeal (A/N) ratio lack age-specific adjustments, potentially resulting in diagnostic inaccuracies. Methods This retrospective study assessed pediatric outpatients aged 1–12 years who underwent lateral nasopharyngeal radiography. Measurements of adenoid depth (AD), nasopharyngeal depth (ND), and A/N ratios were recorded, and age-stratified percentiles (P5-P95) were calculated for four distinct age cohorts. The relationships between AD, ND, and A/N ratios and age were analyzed. Measurements were conducted by two independent radiologists, with any discrepancies adjudicated by a senior expert. Results In this investigation involving 2,629 outpatient children aged between 1 and 12 years, the median AD remained consistent at 14–15 mm, whereas ND increased from 21 to 27 mm, resulting in a decrease in the A/N ratio from 0.68 to 0.56. Pathological hypertrophy was identified in 42% of children aged 1–3 years, compared to 13.7% in those aged 10–12 years, with no significant sex-based differences observed. Age-specific reference ranges showed that both AD and ND increased with age, whereas the A/N ratio decreased. A positive correlation was found between AD and both ND and the A/N ratio, while ND exhibited a negative correlation with the A/N ratio. Significant discrepancies were noted between age-specific A/N ratio percentiles and the current fixed diagnostic criteria for children aged 1–12 years. The study established percentile-based reference values (P5–P95) for AD, ND, and the A/N ratio across four pediatric age groups. Conclusions This study established percentile-based reference values (P5–P95) for AD, ND, and the A/N ratio across four pediatric age groups, thereby recommending age-specific diagnostic thresholds for AH in clinical settings.
Source: Frontiers in Pediatrics
Authors: Enfu Tao, Wei Liang, Hongdan Gu, Junfen Zhou, Changhua Zheng, Junhui Yuan
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4413971066