Medicine:Peritonsillar abscess

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Short description: Pus behind the tonsil due to an infection
Peritonsillar abscess
Other namesQuinsy, quinsey
PeritonsilarAbsess.jpg
Right sided peritonsillar abscess
SpecialtyOtorhinolaryngology
SymptomsFever, throat pain, trouble opening the mouth, change to the voice[1]
ComplicationsBlockage of the airway, aspiration pneumonitis[1]
CausesMultiple types of bacteria[1]
Risk factorsStreptococcal pharyngitis[1]
Diagnostic methodBased on the symptoms[1]
Differential diagnosisRetropharyngeal abscess, infectious mononucleosis, epiglottitis, cancer[1]
TreatmentRemove pus, antibiotics, fluids, pain medication, steroids[1]
Frequency~3 per 10,000 per year (USA)[1]

Peritonsillar abscess (PTA), also known as quinsy, is an accumulation of pus due to an infection behind the tonsil.[2] Symptoms include fever, throat pain, trouble opening the mouth, and a change to the voice.[1] Pain is usually worse on one side.[1] Complications may include blockage of the airway or aspiration pneumonitis.[1]

PTA is typically due to infection by a number of types of bacteria.[1] Often it follows streptococcal pharyngitis.[1] They do not typically occur in those who have had a tonsillectomy.[1] Diagnosis is usually based on the symptoms.[1] Medical imaging may be done to rule out complications.[1]

Treatment is by removing the pus, antibiotics, sufficient fluids, and pain medication.[1] Steroids may also be useful.[1] Admission to hospital is generally not needed.[1] In the United States about 3 per 10,000 people per year are affected.[1] Young adults are most commonly affected.[1]

Signs and symptoms

Physical signs of a peritonsillar abscess include redness and swelling in the tonsillar area of the affected side and swelling of the jugulodigastric lymph nodes. The uvula may be displaced towards the unaffected side.[3]

Unlike tonsillitis, which is more common in children, PTA has a more even age spread, from children to adults. Symptoms start appearing two to eight days before the formation of an abscess. A progressively severe sore throat on one side and pain during swallowing (odynophagia) usually are the earliest symptoms. As the abscess develops, persistent pain in the peritonsillar area, fever, a general sense of feeling unwell, headache, and a distortion of vowels informally known as "hot potato voice" may appear. Neck pain associated with tender, swollen lymph nodes, referred ear pain and foul breath are also common. While these signs may be present in tonsillitis itself, a PTA should be specifically considered if there is limited ability to open the mouth (trismus).[3]

Complications

While most people recover uneventfully, there is a wide range of possible complications.[4] These may include:[1]

Difficulty swallowing can lead to decreased oral intake and dehydration.

Causes

PTA usually arises as a complication of an untreated or partially treated episode of acute tonsillitis. The infection, in these cases, spreads to the peritonsillar area (peritonsillitis). This region comprises loose connective tissue and is hence susceptible to formation of an abscess. PTA can also occur de novo. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can be causative. Commonly involved aerobic pathogens include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Haemophilus. The most common anaerobic species include Fusobacterium necrophorum, Peptostreptococcus, Prevotella species, and Bacteroides.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Diagnosis

Peritonsillar abscess on the person's right as seen on CT imaging

Diagnosis is usually based on the symptoms.[1] Medical imaging may be done to rule out complications.[1] Medical imaging may include CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound is also useful in diagnosis.[1]

Treatment

Medical treatment with antibiotics, volume repletion with fluids, and pain medication is usually adequate, although in cases where airway obstruction or systemic sepsis occurs, surgical drainage may be necessary.[1][11] Corticosteroids may also be useful.[1] Admission to hospital is generally not needed.[1]

Medication

The infection is frequently penicillin resistant.[1] There are a number of antibiotics options including amoxicillin/clavulanate, ampicillin/sulbactam, clindamycin, or metronidazole in combination with benzylpenicillin (penicillin G) or penicillin V.[1][12] Piperacillin/tazobactam may also be used.[1]

Surgery

The pus can be removed by a number of methods including needle aspiration, incision and drainage, and tonsillectomy.[1] Incision and drainage may be associated with a lower chance of recurrence than needle aspiration but the evidence is very uncertain. Needle aspiration may be less painful but again the evidence is very uncertain.[13]

Treatment can also be given while a patient is under anesthesia, but this is usually reserved for children or anxious patients. Tonsillectomy can be indicated if a patient has recurring peritonsillar abscesses or a history of tonsillitis. For patients with their first peritonsillar abscess most ENT-surgeons prefer to "wait and observe" before recommending tonsillectomy.[14]

Epidemiology

It is a commonly encountered otorhinolaryngological (ENT) emergency.[14]

The number of new cases per year of peritonsillar abscess in the United States has been estimated approximately at 30 cases per 100,000 people.[15] In a study in Northern Ireland, the number of new cases was 10 cases per 100,000 people per year.[16] In Denmark , the number of new cases is higher and reaches 41 cases per 100,000 people per year.[17] Younger children who develop a peritonsillar abscess are often immunocompromised and in them, the infection can cause airway obstruction.[18]

Etymology

The condition is often referred to as "quincy", "quinsy",[19] or "quinsey", anglicised versions of the French word esquinancie which was originally rendered as squinsey and subsequently quinsy.[20]

Notable cases

  • Sultan Tekish of Kwarezm[21]
  • Osceola[22]
  • Michel de Montaigne[23]
  • Pope Adrian IV
  • Dan Minogue, the captain/coach of Australian Rules football team Richmond was rumoured to be dead a week before the 1920 VFL Grand Final, but in fact, was in his hometown of Bendigo recovering from quinsy.
  • George Washington was believed to have died of complications arising from quinsy, but is now thought to have died from epiglottitis.[24]
  • James Gregory of the band The Ordinary Boys almost died from quinsy because it was left untreated for so long before emergency treatment was started.[25]
  • Eiichiro Oda, author of the best-selling One Piece manga, was hospitalized due to complications.[26]
  • Ian Maclaren died of complications from quinsy while on a lecture tour of the United States.[27]

The ancient Roman goddess Angerona was claimed to cure quinsy (Latin angina) in humans and sheep.[28][29]

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 "Peritonsillar Abscess". American Family Physician 95 (8): 501–506. April 2017. PMID 28409615. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2017/0415/p501.html. 
  2. ↑ "Tonsillar Cellulitis and Tonsillar Abscess - Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders - Merck Manuals Consumer Version". https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/ear,-nose,-and-throat-disorders/mouth-and-throat-disorders/tonsillar-cellulitis-and-tonsillar-abscess. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Peritonsillar Abscess". https://www.lecturio.com/concepts/peritonsillar-abscess/. 
  4. ↑ "Complications of peritonsillar abscess". Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials 19 (1): 32. 2020. doi:10.1186/s12941-020-00375-x. PMID 32731900. 
  5. ↑ "Aerobic and anaerobic microbiology of peritonsillar abscess". The Laryngoscope 101 (3): 289–92. March 1991. doi:10.1288/00005537-199103000-00012. PMID 2000017. https://archive.org/details/sim_laryngoscope_1991-03_101_3/page/289. 
  6. ↑ "Microbiology of peritonsillar abscesses". Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 72 (2): 247–51. 2006. doi:10.1016/S1808-8694(15)30063-X. PMID 16951860. 
  7. ↑ "Variations in the microbiology of peritonsillar abscess". European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 28 (1): 27–31. January 2009. doi:10.1007/s10096-008-0583-6. PMID 18612664. 
  8. ↑ "Incidence, microbiology and clinical history of peritonsillar abscesses". Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases 40 (9): 752–5. 2008. doi:10.1080/00365540802040562. PMID 19086341. 
  9. ↑ "Significant pathogens in peritonsillar abscesses". European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases 30 (5): 619–27. May 2011. doi:10.1007/s10096-010-1130-9. PMID 21181222. https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00654477. 
  10. ↑ "A review of the pathogenesis of adult peritonsillar abscess: time for a re-evaluation". The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 68 (9): 1941–50. September 2013. doi:10.1093/jac/dkt128. PMID 23612569. 
  11. ↑ "Emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and readmissions of patients with a peritonsillar abscess". Laryngoscope 127 (Suppl 5): S1–S9. October 2017. doi:10.1002/lary.26777. PMID 28782104. 
  12. ↑ "National UK survey of antibiotics prescribed for acute tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess". The Journal of Laryngology and Otology 124 (4): 420–3. April 2010. doi:10.1017/S0022215109991939. PMID 19930783. https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-laryngology-and-otology_2010-04_124_4/page/420. 
  13. ↑ "Needle aspiration versus incision and drainage for the treatment of peritonsillar abscess". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016 (12): CD006287. December 2016. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006287.pub4. PMID 28009937. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Management of peritonsillitis/peritonsillar". Revue de Laryngologie - Otologie - Rhinologie 121 (2): 107–10. 2000. PMID 10997070. 
  15. ↑ "The contemporary approach to diagnosis and management of peritonsillar abscess". Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery 13 (3): 157–60. June 2005. doi:10.1097/01.moo.0000162259.42115.38. PMID 15908813. 
  16. ↑ "The epidemiology of peritonsillar abscess disease in Northern Ireland". The Journal of Infection 52 (4): 247–53. April 2006. doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2005.07.002. PMID 16125782. 
  17. ↑ "Fusobacterium necrophorum: most prevalent pathogen in peritonsillar abscess in Denmark". Clinical Infectious Diseases 49 (10): 1467–72. November 2009. doi:10.1086/644616. PMID 19842975. 
  18. ↑ "Peritonsillar infections". Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America 20 (2): 273–8. May 1987. doi:10.1016/S0030-6665(20)31644-3. PMID 3474580. https://archive.org/details/sim_otolaryngologic-clinics-of-north-america_1987-05_20_2/page/273. 
  19. ↑ "Peritonsillitis (Peritonsillar Cellulitis and Peritonsillar Abscess)". Marx: Rosen's Emergency Medicine (7th ed.). Mosby, An Imprint of Elsevier. 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00073-6--s0105&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&type=bookPage&from=content&uniqId=416217162-691. Retrieved 8 July 2013. 
  20. ↑ Greene, Richard Gleason (1890). The International cyclopedia: a compendium of human knowledge, Volume 12. Mead Dodd. pp. 355–6. https://books.google.com/books?id=mXgWAAAAYAAJ&q=esquinaneie+The+international&pg=PA355. 
  21. ↑ Juvaini, Ala-ad-Din Ata-Malik (1997). History of the World Conqueror. Manchester U.K.: Manchester University Press. p. 314. 
  22. ↑ Wickman, Patricia Riles (2006). Osceola's Legacy. University of Alabama Press. p. 144. 
  23. ↑ de Montaigne, Michel (1877). "Essays of Michel de Montaigne". in William Carew Hazlitt. The Life of Montaigne. 1 (Kindle ed.). 
  24. ↑ Mount Vernon Plantation (2006). "Part 4. President and Back Home". Meet George Washington. Mount Vernon Ladies Association. http://www.mountvernon.org/learn/meet_george/index.cfm/pid/208/. 
  25. ↑ "Ordinary Boys reveal illness that caused V cancellation". 21 August 2006. http://www.nme.com/news/the-ordinary-boys/24017. 
  26. ↑ "NEWS: One Piece on Break". Viz Media. http://shonenjump.viz.com/node/1608. 
  27. ↑ Nicoll, W. Robertson (1908). 'Ian Maclaren': Life of the Rev. John Watson, D.D.. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 379. https://archive.org/details/ianmaclarenlifeo0000nico. 
  28. ↑ "Classical World". Classical Association of the Atlantic States.. February 13, 1918. https://books.google.com/books?id=PbYzAQAAMAAJ&q=quinsy+angerona+angina. 
  29. ↑ "Angerona - Encyclopedia". https://theodora.com/encyclopedia/a2/angerona.html. 

External links

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