title: Lymphoma presenting as a peritonsillar abscess.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peritonsillar abscess is generally seen as a complication of acute tonsillitis in young subjects. It may, however, in rare cases reveal a malignant tumor of the tonsil: most often squamous cell carcinoma or, more rarely, lymphoma. We report a rare case of tonsillar lymphoma revealed by a peritonsillar abscess.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 66-year-old woman, without history of recurrent tonsillitis, was admitted for right peritonsillar abscess with fever. She underwent incision-drainage of the abscess with 10 days' intravenous antibiotics. As tonsillar hypertrophy persisted, tonsillectomy was performed; histology with immunohistochemical examination found tonsillar lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Possible tumoral etiology should be considered in any peritonsillar abscess occurring in an atypical subject. Acute-stage tonsillectomy enables early diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Service ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, CHU Habib-Bourguiba, route El Ain km 0,5, 3029 Sfax, Tunisia. Electronic address: souha.kallel@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kallel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hadj Taieb
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghorbel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000039:Peritonsillar Abscess / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014068:Tonsillectomy
keywords: Lymphoma; Peritonsillar abscess; Tonsillectomy