Tonsillitis (Tonsils Inflammation): Complications

The following are the most important diseases or complications that may be contributed to by tonsillitis (tonsillitis):

Respiratory system (J00-J99)

  • Angina Ludovici – inflammation of the floor of the mouth.
  • Laryngeal edema – accumulation of water in the larynx.
  • Mediastinitis – inflammation of the connective tissue of the mediastinal cavity.
  • Otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear)
  • Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) – spread of inflammation to the connective tissue between tonsil (tonsils) and M. constrictor pharyngis with subsequent abscessation (accumulation of pus); predictors of peritonsillar abscess: male sex (1 point); age 21-40 years and smoker; clinical findings: unilateral sore throat/severe pain (3 points), trismus (lockjaw; 2 points), lumpy voice (1 point), and uvular/palatal deviations (1 point). Interpretation: threshold at which the probability of the presence of PTA increases significantly is a total score of 4. Note: test achieved near-maximal negative predictive value and high sensitivity (percentage of diseased patients in whom the disease is detected by use of the test, i.e., a positive test result occurs), but relatively low specificity (probability that actually healthy individuals who do not have the disease in question are also detected as healthy in the test).
  • Peritonsillitis – fixation of the tonsil in its bed by fibrosis of the tonsil and via the mechanism of spread of inflammation to the peritonsillar tissue; detection by lack of luxation of the tonsil (due torecurrent acute tonsillitis (RAT)).
  • Retropharyngeal abscess – collection of pus trailing along between the cervical spine and posterior pharyngeal wall.

Skin and subcutaneous (L00-L99).

  • Pustulosis palmares et plantares – pustules on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
  • Urticaria (hives)

Cardiovascular system (I00-I99)

  • Endocarditis – inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, usually the heart valves are affected.
  • Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle)
  • Pericarditis (inflammation of the pericardium)
  • Rheumatic fever – specific reaction that occurs after infection with streptococci serogroup A and leads to arthritides (joint inflammation), inflammation of the heart such as pericarditis and endocarditis (pericarditis and endocarditis), as well as CNS involvement in the form of chorea minor; used to be quite common before the onset of antibiotic therapy in children sepsis (blood poisoning).
  • Thrombangiitis obliterans (synonyms: endarteritis obliterans, Winiwarter-Buerger disease, Von Winiwarter-Buerger disease, thrombangitis obliterans) – vasculitis (vascular disease) associated with recurrent (recurring) arterial and venous thrombosis (blood clot (thrombus) in a blood vessel); symptoms: Exercise-induced pain, acrocyanosis (blue discoloration of the body appendages), and trophic disturbances (necrosis/tissue damage resulting from the death of cells and gangrene of the fingers and toes in advanced stages).
  • Vasculitis (vascular inflammation).

Ears – mastoid process (H60-H95)

  • Tympanic effusion (sero- or seromucotympanum; English “otitis media with effusion”) with conductive hearing loss (in chronic inflammation in the pharyngeal mucosa, which usually also results in concomitant inflammation of the tubal mucosa) → speech development delays.

Symptoms and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99).

  • Dyspnea (shortness of breath)

Genitourinary system (kidneys, urinary tract – reproductive organs) (N00-N99).