Background: Allergic inflammatory response within the respiratory tract initiates in the mucosa. The pharyngeal tonsil is lymphatic organ located in close proximity to the nasal mucosa. They are continuously
exposed to antigens, including allergens that enter the body with inhaled air.Although adenoidal hypertrophy is common in children, its association with allergy has not been extensively nalyzed.Material/Methods: To assess the effect of allergy on the development of adenoidal hypertrophy, 396 children between 4 and 9 years of age who had been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis, asthma or atopic dermatitis were examined. Adenoidal hypertrophy was assessed in each subgroup.Results: Adenoidal hypertrophy was found in 50.75% of the children in the assessed group. The incidence of this finding was much higher in the allergic rhinitis subgroup than in the case of the two other diagnoses. The primary allergy-inducing factors in children with adenoidal hypertrophy were inhaled allergens. The occurrence of allergic response was less frequent with seasonalallergens (pollen) than with perennial allergens (predominantly dust mites). Additional positive results of food allergens skin prick tests were observed very rarely.Conclusions: Allergic rhinitis may be regarded as a risk factor for the development of adenoidal hypertrophy in some children. Therefore, early detection and treatment may help to reduce the incidence of hypertrophy.

Keywords: adenoid hypertrophy, Allergy