adenoids

[Daddi-o]

My 11yr. old son had some weakness in his legs. Our Doctor had an MRI done of his spine. A small Posterior Spur was found. He (the Doctor) recomended taken it easy through the summer and checking him again in the fall. Well, no complaining from my son during the summer but as soon as school started, Bang! So to be safe the Doctor order another MRI, full spine, head and neck. Only the Spur and something called "Moderate Hypertrophy of the Adenoidal Soft Tissue". My Doctor explained what that was and said there was nothing to worry about at this time. My two part question is this: Should I be worried about this Adenoidal Soft Tissue and should I take my son to see a sinus Doctor?

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

This question is outside of my area of expertise. The adenoidal tissue is soft tissue surrounding your oral/throat cavities. They are similar to lymph nodes in other areas of the body. If they are hypertrophic it may simply mean that he was recently exposed to an cold, since when they are active they increase in size. If you are concerned about this, then consulting with a sinus doctor (ENT) is reasonable. They can look at the films and examine your son. This will help to put your concerns to rest. Good luck.

[AmySurber]

My sons also had adnoid problems.  Both ended up having them removed.  It was a very simple day surgery that took less than 30 minutes to perform and were back to normal the next day.  It may be something you want to consider.  The oldest son had enlarged adnoids that caused snoring at night.  The youngest had many sinus infections and bronchitus so many times that the adnoid tissues were swollen and would not return to normal.  My younegst son was 4 and my oldest 9 when they had their surgeries.  An ENT - Ear, Nose and Throat Dr does the surgery so a consultation would be a start to find out if that is the right track for your son.

Amy