Hypertrophied Adenoids Causing Pulmonary Hypertension and Severe Congestive Heart Failure

Abstract

ALTHOUGH upper-airway obstruction of varying degrees is a common phenomenon in children, very few cases of cor pulmonale in association with hypertrophied adenoids or tonsils have been reported.1 2 3 In many of these cases the exact hemodynamic changes have not been documented since relief of the respiratory airway obstruction was instituted before diagnostic studies. Thus, the severity of the pulmonary vascular obstruction could only be surmised from the improvement in the clinical course after surgery. The case reported below does document the severe pulmonary hypertension existing before any therapy, the almost instantaneous reversal of this hypertension with temporary relief of obstruction . . .