Effect of tonsillectomy on ASO titre.

Background: Tonsillitis is one of the common clinical problems in Otolaryngology practice. Tonsillectomy is the preferable treatment for patients not responding to medical treatment. Many patients have increased Antistreptolysin O (ASO) titres which is caused by Group A Beta Haemolytic Streptococci (GABHS). Objectives: To determine the effect of tonsillectomy on ASO titre. Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, Manipur, India for a period of 2 years from October 2014 to September 2016. 50 patients diagnosed as recurrent tonsillitis with raised ASO titre above 200 IU/ml and undergoing tonsillectomy were enrolled for the study. Results: Most of the patients were in the age group of 11-15 years with male to female ratio of 1: 1.63. One month after tonsillectomy 11 (22%) patients were negative for ASO titre. After 3 months, 6 months and 1 year follow up, patients whose ASO titre became negative were 34 (68%), 44 (88%) and 45 (90%) respectively. 72% patients had no episodes of sore throat after tonsillectomy. Conclusion: Tonsillectomy has a significant role in preventing or reducing recurrent streptococcal throat infections.