Tonsillar provocation test for tonsillectomy in patients with IgA nephropathy; A comparison between effective tonsillectomy cases and controls

The prognostic value of tonsillar provocation tests using direct irradiation with ultramicrowaves was evaluated in this study. The results of preoperative tonsillar provocation tests among 10 IgA nephropathy cases, in which tonsillectomy was considered to be effective after a 6 month follow-up period (effective-tonsillectomy cases), were compared retrospectively to results obtained from 10 healthy controls, as well as 5 IgA nephropathy cases which showed no significant improvement after tonsillectomy (ineffective-tonsillectomy cases). The average age was 34.7 years for the effective-tonsillectomy cases, 32.6 years for the healthy controls and 22.6 years for the ineffective-tonsillectomy cases, respectively. Positive provocation results were obtained in 80% of the effective-tonsillectomy cases, 60% of the healthy controls and 80% of the ineffective-tonsillectomy cases. Changes in body temperature, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and number of white blood cells showed no statistically significant differences among these three groups. Urinary findings after the provocation test were worsened in 40% of the effective-tonsillectomy cases (2 cases of proteinuria and 2 cases of hematuria), while none of the healthy controls and 20% of the ineffective-tonsillectomy cases (one case of proteinuria and no cases of hematuria) showed positive results after the provocation test. Hematuria seemed to have the best prognostic value as a tonsillar provocation test for tonsillectomy in patients with IgA nephropathy.