Quantitative Assessment of Palatine Tonsils in Healthy Children and Adolescents With Shear-Wave Elastography

Abstract

The normal elasticity and velocity values for palatine tonsils (PTs) in healthy children and adolescents were defined using shear wave elastography, and the relationship with potential factors affecting these values was assessed. This prospective study included a total of 80 cases with ages ranging from 3 to 17 years. Sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. Elasticity and velocity measurements of both PTs and the relationship with basic descriptive data were investigated. For statistical analyses, independent-samples t tests and Spearman rho (r) correlation coefficient were used. Quantitative variables are shown as the mean +/- SD, and categorical variables are shown as n (%). The mean age was 10.6 +/- 6.4 years, and the mean BMI was 17.40 +/- 4 kg/m(2). The mean elasticity and velocity values were 9.38 +/- 1.27 kPa and 1.76 +/- 0.11 m/s for the right PT and 9.57 +/- 1.43 kPa and 1.79 +/- 1.04 m/s for the left PT, respectively. The mean tonsil volume was 2.44 mL for the right PT and 2.36 mL for the left PT. There were no significant differences in elasticity, velocity, and volumes when comparing location, age, or sex groups. No significant correlations were observed between the elasticity and velocity values and BMI. In conclusion, this preliminary work can be used as a reference for the diagnosis of PT diseases. Future comprehensive studies are necessary to establish the role of elastography in the diagnosis of pathologic tissue differentiation confirmed by clinical, laboratory, or pathology analyses.