INTRAORAL ULTRASOUND EVALUATION OF PERITONSILLAR ABSCESS

Peritonsillar cellulitis and peritonsillar abscess are similar clinica l entities with markedly different methods of treatment. Therefore, ac curate diagnosis is paramount to appropriate treatment. This pilot stu dy was designed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of intraor al ultrasound as a noninvasive method of differentiating abscess from cellulitis. Sixteen consecutive patients suspected of having peritonsi llar abscess were prospectively evaluated with intraoral ultrasound. T he results were confirmed with imaging or surgical drainage. Correct d iagnoses were made in 9 (90%) of 10 abscesses and in 5 (83%) of 6 case s of cellulitis. Our results suggest that, while there is a learning c urve for intraoral ultrasound, it is an accurate, noninvasive, and ine xpensive tool to differentiate abscess from cellulitis. We believe tha t this will be a clinically useful technique in the future.