Phlegmon peri-amygdalien aspects diagnostiques et thérapeutiques

Introduction: The Peritonsillar abscesse (PTA) is a suppurated complication of the face and the neck often met as a matter of urgency ENT. He can raise diagnostic and therapeutic problems and be life-threatening. The objective of this study is to specify the epidemiological and clinical particularities of this affection and to revise the therapeutic possibilities from a review of the literature.PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study concerning 75 patients hospitalized for PTA in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Hospital of Nabeul over a period of 7 years (in January 2001 to December 2007). The study of files allowed us to find all the clinical and therapeutic data. Our drop is of two years.RESULTS : The average age of our patients was of 26 years with a sex ratio of 1. The classic set of three of the PTA was complete only in 49 % of the cases. All the patients were the object of a needle aspiration, it was positive in 74 % among which 92 % benefited from a drainage under local anesthetic. A germ was identified in 16 cases with a Streptococcus â-hemolytic group A in 13 cases. The clinical and biological cure was noticed on average in the tenth day. Forty-seven patients underwent tonsillectomy at a later date after an interval from 2 to 6 months. No emergency tonsillectomy was realized.CONCLUSION : The Peritonsillar abscesses is a frequent urgency in ENT. The diagnostic is clinical. The practicable of needle aspiration in every case allows to confirm the diagnosis in the incomplete forms. The treatment is medical and surgical.KEYWORDS : Peritonsillar abscesses, diagnostic, treatment