The incidence and role of actinomyces in recurrent acute tonsillitis.
Although actinomyces has been identified in between 1.77% and 37% of resected tonsils its possible role in recurrent acute tonsillitis has received little attention. A histological and bacteriological study of 129 pairs of tonsils from patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis showed actinomyces to be present in 29.5%. The organism, however, was also present in 40% of tonsils from 10 patients with no history of tonsillar disease. In neither of these groups was there any specific evidence of tissue reaction to actinomyces nor was there a male preponderance as in clinical actinomycosis. The presence of actinomyces in the tonsil was not favoured by the concurrence of beta-lactamase producing bacteria. These data indicate that actinomyces does not have a causal role in recurrent acute tonsillitis.
Gaffney
R
R
Department of Otolaryngology, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Harrison
M
M
Walsh
M
M
Sweeney
E
E
Cafferkey
M
M
D000190:Actinomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000196:Actinomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology; D012008:Recurrence; D014069:Tonsillitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*