The Role Of Tonsils In The Development Of Covid-19 Pneumonia

Abstract

Background and Aim: Despite extensive research, the physiopathology and clinical course of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still not fully understood. It is not known why some COVID-19 patients develop pneumonia while others are asymptomatic or have only mild upper respiratory tract symptoms. The tonsils are an element of the immune system that provide first-line defense against microorganisms entering the body via the upper respiratory tract. This study aimed to evaluate the role of tonsils in preventing the development of COVID-19 pneumonia. Materials and Methods: The study included 198 patients aged 20-40 years who presented to the pandemic outpatient clinic, had confirmed COVID-19 infection, and had no comorbidities. The relationship between lung involvement and history of tonsillectomy was analyzed. Results: Of the 198 patients in the study, 108 were male, 90 were female, and the mean age was 34.7 years. Eighty-three (41.9%) of the patients did not have lung involvement and 115 (58.1%) had lung involvement. Twelve (10.4%) of the patients with lung involvement and 3 (3.6%) of the patients without lung involvement had a history of tonsillectomy. The prevalence of pneumonia did not differ statistically between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Although there was no statistically significant relationship between COVID-19 pneumonia and tonsillectomy in this study, we observed that pneumonia developed in 80% of the 15 patients who underwent tonsillectomy. This suggests that greater caution in terms of lung involvement may be warranted for tonsillectomized patients with COVID-19.