A RARE COMPLICATION AFTER TONSILLECTOMY: OROPHARYNGEAL STENOSIS DUE TO SYNECHIA BETWEEN THE ANTERIOR PLICA AND THE BASE OF THE TONGUE

Abstract

Tonsillectomy is a procedure widely performed in all ear, nose, and throat clinics. Various complications are reported after tonsillectomy. A four-year-old boy who had undergone elective tonsillectomy approximately one year previously was brought to our clinic by his parents due to snoring, difficulty in swallowing, and weight loss developing at some time after surgery and gradually progressing. Oropharyngeal examination revealed a synechia formation between the base of the tongue and the anterior plica. The synechia was released by dissection using bipolar cautery. The operation was completed with no complications. Deep dissection between the base of the tongue and the tonsillar inferior pole during tonsillectomy may makes tissues susceptible to synechia formation by eliminating anatomical barriers.