Histopathology of the toitsil, is it important ?

Abstract EN

Objective : A prospective study was performed to assess the value of hio;;topathological microscopic examination of exdsed normal looking tonsils.

Methods : Between January 1995 to .July "I 996, 180 patients underwent tonsillectomy.

Excised tonsils were processed and subjected to histopathological microscopic examination.

Results : Ninety five per cent {171 patients) had chronic tonsillitis with chronic lymphoid hyperplasia.

In six patients with chronic tonsillitis actinomyces were d etected.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed in one patient aged above 40 years.

A rare finding was the finding of heterotopic (choristoma) cartilage in one tonsil.

Other findings induded chronic tonsillitis with warty irregular surface (I)~ chronic tonsillitis with micro- abscesses (4), fibrosed tonsils ( J ), reactive tonsillitis with cr ypts sho\\ing a collection of cholesterol (1).

Conclusion : J n our study histopathological examination of the tonsils r evealed di versity of pathological entities including non- Hodgkin lymphoma, choristoma, micro abscess, microorganisms like actinomyces and cholesterol clefts.

T his emphasizes the importa nce of histopathological examination of tonsils afte1· tonsillectomy inspite of its normal appearance.