Reliability of adenoid hypertrophy diagnosis by cephalometric radiography

OBJECTIVE: To verify the reliability of adenoid hypertrophy diagnosis by cephalometric radiography. METHOD: Thirty male subjects, aged between 12 and 15 years, either mouth-breathers, or not, were selected. Diagnostic tests for adenoid hypertrophy were performed by radiological cephalometry based on lateral cephalometric radiographs and nasal endoscopy (gold standard). The CefX Cephalometric software program, version 2000 was used and the rhinoscopy was performed with a flexible endoscope. Blockage of 47% and 75% of the nasopharynx were taken as the cutoff points for cephalometric radiography and endoscopy, respectively. RESULTS: The correlation between the two examinations was considered moderately positive (0.5). Tests of validity and reliability reported a sensitivity of 100%; specificity 65.5%; positive predictive value of 9.1%; negative predictive value 100%, and exactness of 66.60%. CONCLUSION: Lateral cephalometric radiography was considered practical and comfortable for the patient; relatively efficient for detecting adenoid hypertrophy and obtaining the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal airway obstruction.