Smoking is a Risk Factor of Peritonsillar Abscess

Background: Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is rare in infants and children; however, it is common in males in their 20s, 30s, and 40s in Japan. The age and sex distribution led us to speculate that smoking might be one of the risk factors of PTA.Patients: A retrospective study of inpatient charts over 10 years (from 1996 to 2005) was performed on 32 patients diagnosed as having PTA and 21 patients diagnosed with cervical abscess (CA). The ages, smoking habits, and bacteriological histories were collected from the charts and compared in each group.Results: The male to female ratio was 7:1 in the PTA group, whereas it was 1:1 in the CA group. Only one out of 32 cases was equal to or less than 15-years-old in the PTA group, and 4 of 21 cases in the CA group. Seventy-five percent of the PTA group were smokers, which was significantly higher than the smoker prevalence in the CA group (23.8%). More than one species of anaerobes were isolated from 12 cases in the PTA group, and, among those cases, 11 (91.7%) had a smoking habit.Conclusion: We conclude that smoking could be one of the risk factors of peritonsillar abscess by promoting anaerobic bacterial infection.