Two Cases of Peritonsillar Abscess Following Tonsillectomy

Peritonsillar abscess occurs commonly and is well known as a result of infection of the peritonsillar space. Peritonsillar abscess rarely occurrs following perfectely performed tonsillectomy. Instead, the most likely causes are due to the retained tonsillar tissue remnants, to the persistence of Weber’s gland, and to the second branchial cleft fistula disruption secondary to tonsillectomy. There are no case reports or reviews existing in the Korean medical literature. We present two cases of peritonsillar abscess that occurred after tonsillectomy with a review of the international literatures. (Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2009;52:461-3)