Objective: To evaluate the serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein and antistreptolysin O titer as indicators for tonsillectomy with assessment of their postoperative changes.
Patients and Methods: Our prospective comparative study was carried out on 150 patients divided into two groups. Group I included 75 patients clinically diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis by symptoms and signs and group II included 75 patients with previous tonsillectomy as a control group. Both groups were compared regarding the levels of the three laboratory markers. Also, the preoperative values of these markers were compared with postoperative values at 1, 3 and 6 months.
Results: The values of the three markers in group I were higher than values in group II but statistically insignificant (p = 0.13, 0.11 and 0.78 respectively). There was a highly significant decrease in postoperative results of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein in group I at 1, 3 and 6 months after tonsillectomy (p value < 0.0001 for all). There was a significant decrease in postoperative results of antistreptolysin O titer in group I at 1, 3 and 6 months after tonsillectomy (p= 0.008, 0.019, 0.001 respectively).
Conclusion: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, C Reactive Protein and antistreptolysin O Titer should not be considered as indicators for tonsillectomy in chronic tonsillitis patients by having a non-significant difference when compared with post tonsillectomy patients. Being inflammatory markers, the values of these markers showed a significant decrease after tonsillectomy due to removal of the septic focus of chronic tonsillitis