A comparative study of the breathing pattern and amount of nasopharynx obstruction by the pharyngeal tonsil in hiv infected and non infected children

Aim: the goal of the present investigation was to study the association between breathing pattern and pharyngeal tonsil size in 122 children (60 HIV infected and 62 without such infection). Material and Methods: The children were analyzed as to their breathing pattern, nasal flow and pharyngeal tonsil obstruction seen in side cephalometric x-rays, by means of a computerized analysis. Results: The pattern that most occurred in both groups was the mixed type. Most of the children presented oral or mixed type breathing and there was no association between the type of breathing and HIV presence (p=0.091). Nasal flow was mainly medium in both groups. Children without prior history of HIV infection had medium to large nasal flow and most of the HIV-infected children had medium nasal airflow. There was a positive association between nasal flow and HIV infection (p<0.0001). The average percentage of nasopharynx obstruction by the pharyngeal tonsil was high in both groups, and there was no statistically significance difference between them. Children from both groups had a moderate or large size of pharyngeal tonsil, and there was no association between tonsil size and HIV (p=0.21).