Tonsillar actinomycosis: a clinicopathological study

Actinomycosis has been known to involve virtually every anatomic site in th e body. Although actinomycosis has been identified in resected tonsils, its possible role in adeno-tonsillar disease has received little attention. A clinicopathological study of 302 patients who had adeno-tonsillar surgery i s presented. Tonsillar actinomycosis was present in 86 (28.5%) patients. Th e statistical analysis revealed a significant association (P < 0.0001) of a ctinomycosis and tonsillar hypertrophy (56.8%) compared to only 10.3% in th e recurrent tonsillitis group. A statistically significant association (P < 0.0001) of tonsillar actinomycosis and sickle cell anaemia, beta thalassae mia, bronchial asthma and beta haemolytic streptococcal infections was also seen. This data supports a predisposition of the above conditions to tonsi llar actinomycosis and adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy and a possible etiopatho logic role of this organism in adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy and disease. Alt hough the clinical association of actinomycosis and tonsillar hypertrophy a nd beta haemolytic. streptococcal infection has been described before the a ssociation of actinomycosis with sickle cell anaemia, beta thalassaemia and bronchial asthma is being observed for the first time in literature. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.