title: Possible role of the anaerobe in tonsillitis.
abstract: Anaerobic bacteria were isolated from all tonsils removed from children at routine tonsillectomy; 75.6% of specimens yielded moderate to heavy growth and 80% of tonsils contained more than one anaerobic species. This recovery rate fell to 56% after a 10-day course of metronidazole before tonsillectomy--in only 14.6% of cases were anaerobes isolated in significant numbers. Surface swabbing of the tonsils permitted recovery of a similar spectrum of anaerobic bacteria but resulted in an overall loss of both aerobic and anaerobic pathogens. A comparison was made between the flora of acutely inflamed tonsils and "healthy' tonsils: over 90% of both groups yielded anaerobic bacteria, but they were present in significant numbers in 56.2% of swabs taken from acutely inflamed tonsils compared with 24% of swabs from "healthy' children. The isolation rate for anerobic pathogens was 37.5% and 16% respectively.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology; D012008:Recurrence; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D008795:Metronidazole