Histopathological Profile of Tonsilloadenoidectomy Specimens at a West Java Tertiary Hospital: Implications for Diagnostic Pathology Practice

Histopathological examination of tonsilloadenoidectomy specimens may reveal inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic lesions; however, the necessity and diagnostic contribution of routine histopathological assessment remain debated because most specimens show benign inflammatory changes and unexpected malignancies are uncommon. This study aimed to describe the histopathological profile of tonsilloadenoidectomy specimens at Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, West Java, Indonesia, and to evaluate its implications for diagnostic pathology practice and pathology-based laboratory data development. A descriptive cross-sectional study with a retrospective approach was conducted using medical records and histopathology reports of patients who underwent tonsilloadenoidectomy from January to December 2025. Total sampling was applied to include all eligible cases. Seventy patients were included, comprising 44 males (62.9%) and 26 females (37.1%), with the majority aged 5-10 years (44 patients, 62.9%). Concordant histopathological findings between palatine tonsils and adenoids were observed in 37 patients (52.9%), predominantly chronic nonspecific inflammation in 35 patients (50.0%). Actinomyces-associated chronic tonsillitis was identified in 17 patients (24.3%), representing the most frequent infectious finding. Malignant lesions were identified in 2 patients (2.9%), consisting of one follicular lymphoma involving both palatine tonsil and adenoid and one adenoid squamous cell carcinoma. The study provides a baseline histopathological profile from an Indonesian tertiary referral hospital and demonstrates that routine histopathological examination can identify clinically significant infectious and malignant lesions in addition to predominant inflammatory changes. These findings support the diagnostic contribution of histopathological examination and provide baseline information for strengthening diagnostic pathology services, laboratory quality improvement, and future pathology database development and digital pathology initiatives.