Peritonsillar abscess: is there any evidence of lateralized distribution? An analysis of 294 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Generally, peritonsillar abscess (PTA) occurs only on one side. Diseases of paired organs show a distinct asymmetry of occurrence: for instance gynaecomastia, varicocele, trigeminal neuralgia, carcinoma of the breast and carcinoma of the ethmoid sinus. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to investigate a possible dominance of one side in PTA. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Lateralization of a PTA was studied in 294 patients treated at Radebeul Hospital between January 2004 and December 2009. RESULT: We found only a slight predominance of the left side in male as well as female patients. CONCLUSION: The cause of the slight asymmetry is unclear. It is also possible that the non significant dominance is coincidental.