A study of tonsillitis in childhood

Abstract

Acute tonsillitis is one of the commonest infections of childhood. The infection itself responds readily to Penicillin Therapy as it is often caused by a Penicillin sensitive Streptococcus; but very often the infection is either missed or not treated properly and serious complications, namely acute glomerulonephritis and acute rheumatic fever, can occur. It is difficult to miss the diagnosis in a child over 6 who presents with sore throat, difficulty in swallowing and pyrexia, but in younger children the infection can present in other ways and unless the throat is well examined the diagnosis may be missed. In young infants acute tonsillitis can present with hyperpyrexia and febrile convulsions. It can present with vomiting and diarrhoea and also with anorexia and coughing. In older children the presentation might be otalgia, anorexia or pyrexia without any symptoms referred to the throat.