Research Article 
Raid M. S. AL-Ani 1*, Nafea S. AL-Esawi 2
Abstract
Although tonsillectomy was the commonest procedure performed by otolaryngologists, there is no consensus among them to send the excised tonsils for histopathological study. The objective of this study is to determine the unique histopathological features of chronically infected tonsils and to evaluate the necessity for routine histopathological examination of excised tonsillar tissues. This prospective study was conducted in Al-Ramadi Teaching Hospital/ENT Department and Pathology and Forensic Medicine Department in Anbar Medical College, Iraq. Hundred adult patients with chronic tonsillitis were subjected to histopathological examination during the period from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2012. The histopathological results showed features of chronicity in form of hyperplasia 200(100%), fibrosis 144(72%), surface ulceration 112(56%), crypt abscess 80(40%), bacterial colonies 48(24%), focal suppuration 16(8%) and focal necrosis 8(4%). No malignant or granulomatous changes were found in the examined tissues. In conclusion, there is a strong correlation between the clinical and pathological findings of patient with chronic tonsillitis. Granulomatous or malignant lesions were not recorded. This study support previous studies which reported that routine histopathological examination of the removed tonsils is not recommended unless suspicious findings like weight loss, history of cancer, neck mass, asymmetry of the tonsils and fungating or ulcerative tonsillar mass.
Keywords: Chronic tonsillitis, Histopathological examination, Al-Ramadi, Iraq