Quality of Life Assessment for Tonsillar Infections and Their Treatment

Background and Objectives: Tonsillar infections are a common reason to see a physician and lead to a reduction in the patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL). HRQoL may be an important criterion in decision science and should be taken into account when deciding when to perform tonsillectomy, especially for chronic tonsillitis. The aim of this study was to determine the health utility for different states of tonsillar infections. Materials and Methods: Hospitalized patients with acute tonsillitis or a peritonsillar abscess were asked about their HRQoL with the 15D questionnaire. Patients who had undergone tonsillectomy were reassessed six months postoperatively. Results: In total, 65 patients participated in the study. The health states of acute tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess had both a utility of 0.72. Six months after tonsillectomy, the mean health utility was 0.95. Conclusions: Our study confirms a substantial reduction in utility due to tonsillar infections. Tonsillectomy significantly improves the utility and therefore HRQoL six months after surgery.