Case ReportRefractory sleep apnea caused by tubal tonsillar hypertrophy

Snoring/sleep apnea are usual symptoms of adenotonsillar hypertrophy, and adenotonsillectomy is usually recommended. In rare cases, symptoms remain after surgery, and tubal tonsil hypertrophy could be the cause. We experienced a pediatric patient whose symptoms were refratory snoring/sleep apnea although he previously underwent three times of adenotonsillectomy. We diagnosed tubal tonsil hypertrophy which was the cause of refractory symptoms, and decided to perform volume reduction with radiofrequency ablation. We suggest that tubal tonsil hypertrophy should be taken into account of the cause of refractory sleep apnea after adenotonsillectomy, and volume reduction with radiofrequency may be an effective method.