Lingual tonsil lymphatic tissue regrowth in patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate a possible regrowth of lingual tonsil lymphatic tissue in patients submitted to lingual tonsil resection with transoral robotic surgery (TORS). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective Study. METHODS: Medical records of patients surgically treated by means of TORS to remove excessive lymphatic tissue of the lingual tonsil were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative endoscopic data after long-term follow-up were analyzed to investigate possible lymphatic tissue regrowth. Preoperative and postoperative lingual tonsil lymphatic tissue were classified according to the standardized Friedman's grading scale ranging from 0 to 4. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients (41 male and 27 female; mean age = 51.3 years) were considered suitable for the study analysis. Clinical regrowth was observed in six (8.8%) patients: four (5.9%) and two (2.9%) patients with grade 2 and 3 lymphatic hypertrophy, respectively. No correlation between the grade of regrowth, the time interval from surgery, and the volume of lymphatic tissue removed was found. CONCLUSIONS: The lymphatic tissue regrowth after TORS resection appears to be very low. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 129:2652-2657, 2019.