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The present study aimed to specify diagnostics for peritonsillar abscesses (PTAs) and to clarify the role of minor salivary glands. This prospective cohort study included 112 patients with acute tonsillitis (AT) and PTA recruited at a tertiary hospital emergency department between February and October 2017. All patients completed a questionnaire concerning their current disease. Serum amylase (S-Amyl) and C-reactive protein (S-CRP) levels, tonsillar findings, and pus aspirate samples and throat cultures were analyzed. Eight of 58 PTA patients (13.8%) had no signs of tonsillar infection. The absence of tonsillar erythema and exudate was associated with low S-CRP (p<0.001) and older age (p<0.001). We also observed an inverse correlation between S-Amyl and S-CRP levels (AT, r = -0.519; PTA, r = -0.353). Therefore, we observed a group of PTA patients without signs of tonsillar infection who had significantly lower S-CRP levels than other PTA patients. These findings support that PTA may be caused by an etiology other than AT. Variations in the S-Amyl levels and a negative correlation between S-Amyl and S-CRP levels may indicate that minor salivary glands are involved in PTA development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this prospective study was to determine if there is a difference in number and distribution of salivary bacteria between patients with tonsillar infection and healthy volunteers. Background: The etiology of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is unclear. Smoking, periodontal disease, and infection of minor salivary glands have been suggested as predisposing factors for PTA. Material and methods: Patients with acute tonsillitis (AT) (n = 54), peritonsillitis (PT) (n = 36), PTA (n = 58), and healthy volunteers (n = 52) were prospectively recruited and evaluated. Saliva bacteria were analyzed with flow cytometry. Patients and their treating physicians completed a questionnaire about patients' current disease, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and oral health. Results: There were no differences in the total number of saliva bacteria between patients with acute throat infection and healthy volunteers (p =.104) or between AT, PT, and PTA patients (p =.273). Smoking habits, alcohol consumption, oral hygiene, or prior antibiotics had no effect on total amount of salivary bacteria in patients with acute throat infection. Conclusions: The effects of smoking on salivary bacteria do not seem to be the mechanism that promotes development of PTA in smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]