eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Ear, Nose, & Throat

Peritonsillar Abscess: Multimedia

Author: Ninfa Mehta, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Kings County Hospital
Coauthor(s): Mark A Silverberg, MD, FACEP, MMB, Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, Kings County Hospital, University Hospital, State University of New York Downstate at Brooklyn; A Antoine Kazzi, MD, Chair and Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut, Lebanon; Mazen J El-Sayed, MD, Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine, University Of Maryland Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 11, 2009

Multimedia

Right peritonsillar abscess. The soft palate, whi...Media file 1: Right peritonsillar abscess. The soft palate, which is erythematous and edematous, is displaced anteriorly. The patient has a "hot potato–sounding" voice.
Right peritonsillar abscess. The soft palate, whi...

Right peritonsillar abscess. The soft palate, which is erythematous and edematous, is displaced anteriorly. The patient has a "hot potato–sounding" voice.

Pus is aspirated through a widebore needle from t...Media file 2: Pus is aspirated through a widebore needle from the right peritonsillar abscess. An additional incision will be made to drain any other pus pockets.
Pus is aspirated through a widebore needle from t...

Pus is aspirated through a widebore needle from the right peritonsillar abscess. An additional incision will be made to drain any other pus pockets.

More on Peritonsillar Abscess

Overview: Peritonsillar Abscess
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Peritonsillar Abscess
Treatment & Medication: Peritonsillar Abscess
Follow-up: Peritonsillar Abscess
Multimedia: Peritonsillar Abscess
References

References

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  2. Sakae FA, Imamura R, Sennes LU, Araujo Filho BC, Tsuji DH. [Microbiology of peritonsillar abscesses]. Rev Bras Otorrinolaringol (Engl Ed). Mar-Apr 2006;72(2):247-51. [Medline].

  3. Herzon FS, Martin AD. Medical and surgical treatment of peritonsillar, retropharyngeal, and parapharyngeal abscesses. Curr Infect Dis Rep. May 2006;8(3):196-202. [Medline].

  4. Losanoff JE, Missavage AE. Neglected peritonsillar abscess resulting in necrotizing soft tissue infection of the neck and chest wall. Int J Clin Pract. Dec 2005;59(12):1476-8. [Medline].

  5. Ahmed K, et al. Radiology in focus: The role of ultrasound in the management of peritonsillar abscess. J Laryngol Otol. 1994;108:610-612.

  6. Aldakhail AA, Khan MI. A retrospective study of peritonsillar abscess in Riyadh Medical Complex [corrected]. Saudi Med J. Aug 2006;27(8):1217-21. [Medline].

  7. Araujo Filho BC, Sakae FA, Sennes LU, Imamura R, de Menezes MR. Intraoral and transcutaneous cervical ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of peritonsillar cellulitis and abscesses. Rev Bras Otorrinolaringol (Engl Ed). May-Jun 2006;72(3):377-81. [Medline].

  8. Blokmanis A. Ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of peritonsillar abscesses. J Otolaryngol. Aug 1994;23(4):260-2. [Medline].

  9. Tintinalli J, et al, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1996:1077-1078.

  10. Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1998:183.

  11. Garcia Callejo FJ, Nunez Gomez F, Sala Franco J, Marco Algarra J. [Management of peritonsillar infections]. An Pediatr (Barc). Jul 2006;65(1):37-43. [Medline].

  12. Hanna BC, McMullan R, Hall SJ. Corticosteroids and peritonsillar abscess formation in infectious mononucleosis. J Laryngol Otol. Jun 2004;118(6):459-61. [Medline].

  13. Kieff DA, Bhattacharyya N, Siegel NS, Salman SD. Selection of antibiotics after incision and drainage of peritonsillar abscesses. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Jan 1999;120(1):57-61. [Medline].

  14. Lamkin RH, Portt J. An outpatient medical treatment protocol for peritonsillar abscess. Ear Nose Throat J. Oct 2006;85(10):658, 660. [Medline].

  15. Lyon M, Blaivas M. Intraoral ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of suspected peritonsillar abscess in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med. Jan 2005;12(1):85-8. [Medline].

  16. Martin Campagne E, del Castillo Martin F, Martinez Lopez MM, Borque de Andres C, de Jose Gomez MI, Garcia de Miguel MJ. [Peritonsillar and retropharyngeal abscesses: study of 13 years]. An Pediatr (Barc). Jul 2006;65(1):32-6. [Medline].

  17. Ozbek C, Aygenc E, Tuna EU, Selcuk A, Ozdem C. Use of steroids in the treatment of peritonsillar abscess. J Laryngol Otol. Jun 2004;118(6):439-42. [Medline].

  18. Passy V. Pathogenesis of peritonsillar abscess. Laryngoscope. Feb 1994;104(2):185-90. [Medline].

  19. Roberts J. Emergency department considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Emerg Med News. 1996;2:4-7.

  20. Sakaguchi M, Sato S, Asawa S, Taguchi K. Computed tomographic findings in peritonsillar abscess and cellulitis. J Laryngol Otol. May 1995;109(5):449-51. [Medline].

  21. Strong EB, Woodward PJ, Johnson LP. Intraoral ultrasound evaluation of peritonsillar abscess. Laryngoscope. Aug 1995;105(8 Pt 1):779-82. [Medline].

Further Reading

Keywords

peritonsillar abscess, tonsillitis, throat abscess, head and neck infection, peritonsillar abscess treatment, peritonsillar abscess symptoms, peritonsillar space, PTA, quinsy, peritonsillar cellulitis, retropharyngeal abscess, drainage of throat abscess 

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ninfa Mehta, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Kings County Hospital
Ninfa Mehta, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American Medical Association, and American Medical Student Association/Foundation
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Mark A Silverberg, MD, FACEP, MMB, Assistant Professor, Assistant Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, State University of New York Downstate College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, Kings County Hospital, University Hospital, State University of New York Downstate at Brooklyn
Mark A Silverberg, MD, FACEP, MMB is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

A Antoine Kazzi, MD, Chair and Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
A Antoine Kazzi, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mazen J El-Sayed, MD, Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine, University Of Maryland Medical Center
Mazen J El-Sayed, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, National Association of EMS Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Michael Glick, DMD, Professor and Acting Chair, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, New Jersey Dental School, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Michael Glick, DMD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Oral Medicine and American Dental Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Mark W Fourre, MD, Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Maine Medical Center; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont School of Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Pamela L Dyne, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine/Emergency Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center
Pamela L Dyne, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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