Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2004 Apr;47(4):349-353.

Bacteriologic Evaluation of Peritonsillar Abscess

• Shin C
• No HS
• Moon SW
• Choi HY
• Lee DH
• Kang JG
• Kim HY
• Lee JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is a collection of pus lateral to tonsil and is located between the fibrous capsule of the palatine tonsil, usually at its upper pole, and the superior to the pharyngeal constrictor muscle. It frequently occurs as a complication of acute tonsillitis. Bacteriology including clinical characteristics in PTA were evaluated. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Sixty-one patients with peritonsillar abscess, who visited National Medical Center from January 1997 through August 2001 were entered into the study. Each patient was asked to answer a questionnaire for clinical aspects of PTA. Needle aspirations were performed and pus was drained in all cases. Bacterial susceptibility to ampicillin, cephazoline, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracyclin, and vancomycin was tested on the ioslated bacteria. RESULTS: Among 61 cases, aerobes were isolated in 15 cases (24.6%) and anaerobes in 16 cases (26.2%). There was no significant difference in the culture positive rate of aerobes (p=0.767) and anaerobes (p=1.0) between antibiotics-medicated patients and nonmedicated patients. Among the cultured organisms, peptostreptococcus was the most common and the second most common was beta-hemolytic streptococcus. However, alpha-hemolytic streptococcus, an important pathogen considered in the previous study, was detected at 1.6%. CONCLUSION: Antibiotics medication was not a significant factor in culture positive rate in our study. Peptostreptococcus as an anaerobe and beta-hemolytic streptococcus as an aerobe were the major causes that contributed to the decreased state of peritonsillar abscess and culture positive rate of alpha-hemolytic streptococcus.

Keyword

Peritonsillar abscess; Bacteriology; Antibiotics

MeSH Terms

Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Aspirations (Psychology)
Bacteria
Bacteriology
Cefazolin
Ciprofloxacin
Erythromycin
Humans
Needles
Palatine Tonsil
Peptostreptococcus
Peritonsillar Abscess*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Streptococcus
Suppuration
Tonsillitis
Vancomycin
Ampicillin
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Cefazolin
Ciprofloxacin
Erythromycin
Vancomycin