Table 2.

Numbers of children with potential indications for tonsillectomy, annual incidence of potential indications, and the proportions of these children undergoing tonsillectomy, 2005 to 2016

Recorded indication for tonsillectomya		Number with this indication	Proportion with this indication undergoing tonsillectomy, %	Proportion of all tonsillectomies attributable to this indication, %	Average annual incidence of this indication (per 100 000 person–years)
Evidence-based	Tonsillar tumour	5	0.0	0.0	0.2
	Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis syndrome (PFAPA)	435	3.4	0.1	8.5
	Paradise criteriab	15 320	13.9	11.6	412.8
Non evidence-based	Obstructive sleep apnoea	3185	22.2	3.9	65.9
	Other sleep disordered breathing	15 205	14.8	12.3	369.9
	Peritonsillar abscess	675	14.8	0.5	14.9
	Recurrent sore throats: five to six in 1 yearc	25 420	8.9	12.4	840.4
	Recurrent sore throats: two to four in 1 year with guttate or chronic plaque psoriasisc	939	3.7	0.2	21.3
	Recurrent sore throats: two to four in 1 year with glomerulonephritisc	148	4.7	0.0	3.5
	Recurrent sore throats: three to four in 1 yearc	170 687	3.2	30.1	5869.1
	Recurrent sore throats: two in 1 yearc	251 247	1.0	14.3	12 321.6
	Recurrent sore throats: one in 1 yearc	446 275	0.4	9.9	27 896.5
	No indication identified	701 266	0.1	4.7	n/a
	Total	1 630 807	1.1	100.0	n/a

^aIf a child meets criteria for several indications, the indication higher in the hierarchy is counted.

^bParadise criteria: Recurrent sore throats or upper respiratory tract infections: seven or more a year; five or more yearly for 2 years; three or more yearly for 3 years.

^cBroad definition of sore throat: includes consultations for any upper respiratory tract infection or otitis media. n/a = not applicable.