Understanding Peritonsillar Abscess
Explore the causes, symptoms, and treatments of a peritonsillar abscess, a common complication of tonsillitis affecting young people. Learn about its diagnosis and effective management strategies.
Peritonsillar Abscess (PTA)
A peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a collection of pus that forms near one of the tonsils, typically as a complication of tonsillitis. It is most common in children, adolescents, and young adults.
Development Time: Symptoms of PTA usually begin 3-5 days before evaluation and may include fever, malaise, headache, neck pain, severe throat pain (more severe on the affected side; occasionally referred to the ipsilateral ear), dysphagia, change in voice, otalgia, and odynophagia.
Symptoms:
- Severe sore throat, worse on one side
- Difficulty swallowing
- Fever and chills
- Ear pain on the same side as the abscess
- Muffled or "hot potato" voice
- Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
- Drooling due to difficulty swallowing saliva
- Headache
- Neck stiffness
Diagnosis: Diagnosis is primarily clinical, based on the patient's history and physical examination. Imaging studies, such as lateral soft tissue neck radiography, intraoral ultrasonography, or computed tomography (CT) scanning, may be considered to confirm the diagnosis or assess the extent of the abscess.
Treatment: Initial management includes airway support, fluid resuscitation, antipyretics, and adequate analgesia. Surgical options for abscess drainage are needle aspiration, incision and drainage, or quinsy tonsillectomy. Empiric antibiotics are also administered.
With prompt treatment, symptoms typically resolve within 5-7 days.