Paratonsillar abscess (paratonsillitis): symptoms
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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In most cases, the process is one-sided; bilateral paratonsillitis, but according to different authors, it happens in 1-10% of cases. Tonsilogenous paratonzillitis usually develops a few days after the end of the sore throat or another exacerbation of chronic tonsillitis.
The disease begins with the appearance of a sharp, often one-sided pain in the throat when swallowing, which then becomes permanent and intensifies when you try to swallow saliva. It is possible to irradiate the pain in the ear, the teeth of the corresponding side.
The patient's condition is usually severe and continually worsens: there is a headache, weakness, weakness; The temperature of the tat increases to a febrile figure. There is a bad smell from the mouth. There arises a tonic spasm of the masticatory musculature expressed in varying degrees. The appearance of trismus, according to most authors, indicates the formation of a paratonsillar abscess.
On the affected side, the lymph nodes are significantly swollen and sharply painful when palpated. Because of the involvement of the neck muscles and cervical lymph nodes of the halo movement in the inflammation process, you and the neck become painful; often the patient prefers to keep his head tilted in the affected side. When swallowed, liquid food partially enters the nasopharynx, nose and throat. Speech becomes vague and nasal.
The temperature reaction is usually pronounced, especially in the early days and in the period of abscessing. In some cases, especially with relapsing paratonzillitis, the temperature is subfebrile. After the dissection of the abscess, which can occur independently, usually on the 3rd-6th day after the onset of the disease, the patient's condition improves dramatically, the temperature decreases. With prolonged flow, a breakthrough of pus may occur on the 2nd-3rd week. When the abscess is deeply located, its spontaneous dissection often does not occur, it is possible to spread suppuration into the near-pharyngeal space.
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