Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis can be difficult to distinguish clinically from viral pharyngitis.

Most patients do not seek medical help.

Most cases resolve spontaneously and do not require antibiotics. Antibiotics are used to treat group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection.

There is some evidence that tonsillectomy may be effective in selected children with recurrent severe acute tonsillitis.

Acute tonsillitis is an acute infection of the parenchyma of the palatine tonsils. This definition does not include tonsillitis as part of infectious mononucleosis, although tonsillitis may occur in isolation or as part of a generalised pharyngitis. The clinical distinction between tonsillitis and pharyngitis is unclear in the literature, and the condition is often referred to simply as 'acute sore throat'.