Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T19:35:33.686Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Actinomycetes colonization of tonsils: a comparative study between patients with and without recurrent tonsillitis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2006

S-T Toh ,
H-W Yuen  and
Y-H Goh
S-T Toh*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Republic of Singapore.
H-W Yuen
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Republic of Singapore.
Y-H Goh
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Republic of Singapore.
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Song-Tar Toh, Department of Otolaryngology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore169608. Fax: 65 2262079 E-mail: songtar74@yahoo.com.sg
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the prevalence of tonsillar actinomycetes colonization in patients with and without recurrent tonsillitis and to study the association of this condition with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy.

Study design and setting:

A retrospective study of 834 patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis (group A) and for sleep-disordered breathing without a history of recurrent tonsillitis (group B).

Results:

The prevalence of tonsillar actinomycetes colonization was higher in patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for sleep-disordered breathing (44.1 per cent) than in patients who had undergone tonsillectomy for recurrent tonsillitis (33.3 per cent). The prevalence did not differ by sex or age of patient, although the occurrence rate was higher in the adult compared with the paediatric population. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean size of the tonsils removed in the two groups, and actinomycetes colonization did not affect tonsil size. Histopathological analysis of resected tonsils did not show active tissue infection.

Conclusion:

The presence of actinomyces does not indicate active disease. We are of the opinion that, although actinomyces colonization is more prevalent in patients with sleep-disordered breathing, it does not contribute to tonsillar hypertrophy nor to recurrent tonsillitis.

Keywords

ActinomycetesTonsillitisTonsilSleep Apnoea Syndromes
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 121 , Issue 8 , August 2007 , pp. 775 - 778
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Slack, J. The source of infection in actinomycosis. J Bacteriol 1992;43:193–209CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Janega, P, Suly, M, Babal, P. Relation between actinomycosis infection and the occurrence of chronic tonsillitis in adults. Cesk Patol 2001;37:99–104Google ScholarPubMed
3Gaffney, R, Harrison, M, Walsh, M, Sweeney, E, Cafferkey, M. The incidence and role of actinomyces in recurrent acute tonsillitis. Clin Otolaryngol 1993;18:268–71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Bhargava, D, Bhusnurmath, B, Sundaram, KR, Raman, R, Al Okbi, HM, Al Abri, R et al. Tonsillar actinomycosis: a clinicopathological study. Acta Trop 2001;80:163–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Pransky, SM, Feldmen, JI, Kearns, DB, Seid, AB, Billman, GF. Actinomycosis in obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy and recurrent tonsillitis. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1991;117:883–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Lord, F. The etiology of actinomycosis. The presence of actinomycetes in the contents of carious teeth and tonsillar crypts of patients without actinomycosis. J Amer Med Assoc 1910;55:1261–263CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Lerner, PI. The lumpy jaw. Cervicofacial actinomycosis. Infec Dis Clin North Am 1988;2:203–20CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Hugoson, A, Koch, G, Gothberg, C, Helkimo, AN, Lundin, SA, Norderyd, O et al. Oral health of individuals aged 3–80 years in Jonkoping, Sweden during 30 years (1973–2003). II. Review of clinical and radiographic findings. [in English] Swed Dent J 2005;29:139–55Google ScholarPubMed