Intratonsillar abscess in patients with COVID-19: Two case reports

Abstract

COVID-19 was first reported of in December of 2019 and has since developed into a global pandemic disease. An intratonsillar abscess is a rarely encountered diagnosis and the clinical presentation can mimic that of a peritonsillar abscess. Here, we report on two cases of intratonsillar abscess and concurrent COVID-19 infection. Case 1: A 19-year old male presented with a sore throat, right-sided neck pain and difficulty swallowing. Needle aspiration of a peritonsillar bulging was negative for pus. Computed tomography showed an intratonsillar abscess. Intratonsillar needle aspiration was again negative for pus. The patient was treated with antibiotics and his condition improved without surgical intervention. Case 2: A 43-year-old female presented with a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever and myalgia. Examination showed peritonsillar swelling on the right side. Computed tomography showed an intratonsillar abscess on the right side. Intratonsillar needle aspiration was positive for pus. The patient was treated with antibiotics and her condition improved. To our knowledge, this is the first publication to report the development of intratonsillar abscess in patients with COVID-19.

Keywords

• intratonsillar abscess
• covid-19
• sars-cov-2 virus
• peritonsillar abscess
• case report