Question
A 5-year-old child often snores during nighttime sleep and sometimes struggles with breathing. Some suspect it might be symptoms of adenoid hypertrophy. How can adenoid hypertrophy be diagnosed?
Answer
The diagnosis of adenoid hypertrophy includes observing the child’s habit of open-mouth breathing, checking if the oral and pharyngeal area is hard, high, and narrow, accompanied by enlarged tonsils; through anterior rhinoscopy, red protuberances may be found in the nasopharynx; fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy can reveal lobulated lymphoid tissue at the top and back wall of the nasopharynx; palpation of the nasopharynx may feel a soft mass; X-ray lateral nasopharyngeal imaging can also aid in diagnosis. The symptoms of a cold are similar to those of adenoid hypertrophy.