Publication:

Clinical and histopathological correlation in patients with chronic tonsillitis

Background Chronic tonsillitis is diagnosed when an individual has 7 episodes of tonsillitis in 1 year, 5 episodes in 2 consecutive years, or 3 episodes each year for 3 years consecutively. There is correlation of clinical and histopathological findings in patients with chronic tonsillitis.

Methods It is prospective study which is aimed at correlation of clinical and histopathological findings in chronic tonsillitis patients underwent tonsillectomy. This was carried out in tertiary care hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India. In our study, 25 patients of chronic tonsillitis underwent tonsillectomy were included. In this we have examined the histopathology of tonsillar tissue section in correlation with the clinical manifestations of tonsillar diseases that were due to infection.

Results In pathological examination of palatine tonsil, underlying subepithelial tissue showed many lymphoid follicles with prominent germinal centres comprising of centrocytes, centroblasts, immunoblasts, small and large lymphocytes in 19 patients (76%). 13 patients (52%) showed prominent germinal centres with bites of salivary gland and muscle tissue. 6 patients (24%) showed prominent germinal centre with mild lymphoplasmocytic inflammatory cell infiltrate. In 4 patients (16%), tissue lined by stratified squamous epithelium showed focal ulceration. 3 patients (12%) showed stratified squamous epithelium with granulation tissue. Crush artifact were noted in 3 patients (12%). 2 patients (8%) had small granules with actinomycotic species colonies within the palatine tonsilar crypts. Only 1 patient (4%) showing keratin impacted in tonsilar tissue.

Conclusions There is strong correlation between histopathological examination suggestive of lymphoid hypertrophy and grading of palatine tonsil hypertrophy.