A 22-year-old man with recurrent pharyngitis developed a peritonsillar abscess from which aspirated material yielded a pure culture of Nocardia asteroides. It is likely that the organism was introduced iatrogenically during a prior tonsillar incision. Although unusual, Nocardia species should be considered and microbiological specimens should be handled appropriately in pharyngeal abscesses tha...

An ectopic tonsil is defined as tonsillar tissue that develops in areas outside of the four major tonsil groups: the palatine, lingual, pharyngeal, and tubal tonsils. The occurrence of tonsillar tissue in the oral cavity in ectopic locations, its prevalence, and its developmental mechanisms that belong to its formation remain unclear. In this report, we describe a rare case of bilateral symmetr...

There are two principal indications for tonsillectomies or ablation of palatal tonsillar tissue: repeated episodes of tonsillitis (at least 5 times per year in two successive years) and obstructive tonsillar tissue as well as another, more rare, indication, highly asymmetrical blocs of tonsillar tissue that may suggest presence of a lymphoma. When tonsils are obstructive in patients suffering f...

Metastasis from a malignant tumor to the palatine tonsils is rare, with only 100 cases reported in the English-language literature. Tonsillar metastasis from a gastric cancer is very rare. We report here a case of palatine tonsillar metastasis after gastric cancer surgery. The patient was an 88-year-old woman who had gastric cancer with abdominal wall invasion. She had undergone a distal gastre...

Imaging of the oral cavity and pharynx often is required in three settings: assessment of an inflammatory mass in association with odontogenic, tonsillar, or pharyngeal infections; determination of the cause of a submucosal mass; and staging of squamous-cell carcinomas. Spread of infection from the oral cavity and pharynx can lead to abscesses in the masticatory space, the retropharyngeal compa...

The mucosal layer of oral cavity and upper respiratory tract has a major role in protecting the human body from infectious agents. Waldeyer’s ring including tonsils and adenoid located at the junction of both the digestive and respiratory tracts provides also an immunological protaction [1]. New immune-biological tests have helped in recognition of tonsillar cells responsible for the immunity r...

Tonsillar disease (recurrent tonsillitis and/or tonsillar hypertrophy) is one of the most common human disorders, with Streptococcus pyogenes (group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus [GAS]) and Haemophilus influenzae representing the most common pathogens. Until now, no study has investigated why some individuals are more susceptible to tonsillar infections caused by specific bacteria than others....

A 39 year old woman presented with complaints of throat swelling and a history multiple courses antibiotic treatment for clinically diagnosed sinusitis tonsillitis occurring over period greater than one year. Despite treatment, she still noted difficulty in eating once or twice month due to pharyngeal discomfort. She had been Crohn disease 18 months previously begun infliximab (Remicade, Jansse...