What is the cause of hypertrophia in asymmetric tonsils?.

OBJECTIVES: Asymmetric tonsillar hypertrophy is a condition, confirmed by physical examination, that can be found in every age group. The aim of this study was to compare each tonsil through macroscopic and microscopic assessment of specimens and reveal the reasons that cause one tonsil to grow more than the other. METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out with 93 patients who wereindicated for tonsillectomy in the authors' Clinic. Of these 93 patients, seven cases who had clinically asymmetric but pathologically symmetric tonsils were excluded from the study. The presence of microscopicintraepithelial abscess, Helicobacter pylori with Giemsa stain, Coccobacillus, fungus, Actinomyces with Pas-Grocott stain, dysplasia or hyperplasia, malignancy and reactive changes in the epithelium were evaluated. RESULTS: The study was conducted with 86 patients aged between two and 35, of whom 32 were women (37.2%) and 54 were men (62.8%). The mean age of cases was 8.37 ± 5.95. The mean difference between two tonsils ranged from 1 to 12 mm, mean 3.67 ± 2.56 mm. When the findings were examined, the presence of H. pylori, Coccobacillus, fungus and Actinomyces, reactive changes in the epithelium, pattern of hyperplasia, intraepithelial abscess and macroscopic presence of pus did not reveal any statistically significant changes. CONCLUSION: The reasons behind asymmetric tonsil hypertrophies and how they are related to malignancies have not yet been clarified. There is no statistically significant difference between the evaluated parameters in the present study. This study has brought a new point of view to the subject by comparing different-sized tonsils in the same person, thus paving the way for future studies with a broader scope.

Occupational health of Turkish Aegean small-scale fishermen.

BACKGROUND: Fishing has always been a dangerous occupation, and numerous factors have a direct or indirect impact on the health of fisherman. AIMS: To examine the health, safety and working conditions of small-scale fishing fleets in the Turkish Aegean Sea coasts. METHODS: Data were obtained from a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of small-scale fishermen along the Aegean Sea coast. Data collection took place between September 2009 and January 2010. RESULTS: Out of 5714 Aegean Sea small-scale fishermen, 1166 from 76 fishing ports participated. Twenty-nine per cent of fishermen did not have any social security cover. The most prevalent health problems (using International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision [ICD-10]) found were musculoskeletal problems (e.g. discopathies, muscular strain, rheumatism) and eye, ear-nose, digestive and urinary system problems. Alcohol consumption was high (68%) in fishermen and 72% reported that they smoked more during fishing trips. Health problems appeared to be associated with a number of factors including migrant status, income satisfaction, rank, type of fishing and cumulative work per year. CONCLUSIONS: In Turkey, small-scale fishermen experience a significant number of health problems and have unhealthy lifestyles. Interventions designed to improve working conditions of small-scale fishermen could help to reduce the number of occupational injuries, which in turn may impact positively on their health. Prevention policies to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption should also be developed.