The histomorphological pattern of various tonsillar lesions. A 3-year study in the tertiary care center.

Palatine tonsils are paired masses of lymphoid tissue, which act as an immunologicbarrier against the entry of pathogenic agents into the respiratory and digestive tracts. Tonsillitis is acommon disease, especially among children. Chronic tonsillitis is a disease with repeated attacks ofacute tonsillitis or a sub-clinic form of a resistant or poorly treated infection. Aim: To determine theclinicopathological findings in various lesions of tonsillectomy in the palatine tonsil. Materials andmethods: This is a retrospective study where 105 (Unilateral-20, Bilateral) cases ofhistopathologically identified tonsillectomy specimens as well as 4 tonsillar biopsies were included.The available data for all the patients as regards age, sex, and clinical symptoms were collected.Sections were taken from tonsillectomy specimens from representative areas while tonsillar biopsieswere processed completely. Routine hematoxylin and eosin staining was done along with this specialstain- PAS (periodic acid- Schiff) for actinomycosis and ZN stain for AFB. Results: Amongst thecases, 78 cases showed chronic tonsillitis. 11 cases were chronic tonsillitis with actinomycosis, acutechronic tonsillitis in 07 cases, granulomatous tonsillitis in 03 cases, acute ulcerative tonsillitis withmicroabscesses in 01 case, and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in 02 cases. Three malignancies wereobserved – Two cases of squamous cell carcinoma and one case of undifferentiatedcarcinoma/lymphoma. Conclusion: Chronic tonsillitis is a common problem facing in all age groups,Histopathology plays a significant role in diagnosing both benign and malignant lesions of the tonsil.