The human palatine tonsils are secondary lymphatic organs formed from a collection of lymphatic tissue. They
have a significant role in the immune system of the body, in addition, they protect the mucosa of the alimentary
tract against various pathogens. The paired palatine tonsils constitute the main lymphoid components in the
lymphatic Waldeyer ring. This ring comprises pharyngeal tonsils (adenoids), lingual tonsils, and palatine tonsils.
Waldeyer’s lymphoid tissue ring is also functionally called “mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue” or MALT and
is the first line of adaptive defense against inhaled or ingested antigens1.
The most common age group for tonsillitis is children over 2 years old. Kids between the ages of 5 and 15 are
more likely to develop tonsillitis caused by bacteria. Younger children are more prone to tonsillitis caused by
viruses2.
Several environmental factors contribute to recurrent pharyngotonsillitis, including poor sanitation, a
high rooming index, a lack of sun exposure, and poor health habits3.
The tonsillar disease is a common cause of morbidity in children2.
The choice of treatment is often tonsillectomy,
which is still the most frequently performed surgical procedure in children3.
Surgery can be associated
with significant morbidity and very rare mortality, the only other reasonable therapeutic options for recurrent
or chronic tonsillitis are repeated courses of antibiotics2.
Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is synthesized in the skin upon sunlight and obtained from foods. Low vitamin
D levels have been linked to many risk factors, including obesity, limited exposure to sunlight, prematurity,
malabsorption, darkly pigmented skin, aging, chronic use of steroids or anticonvulsants, and low socioeconomic
status4.
In addition, several studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of numerous
acute/chronic otorhinolaryngologic conditions2,5. |
