The Changes in the Clinical Aspects of Peritonsillar Abscess during the Past 14 Years

14년 동안의 편도주위농양의 임상적 양상의 변화

Background and Objectives : Peritonsillar abscess is one of the most common illnesses m the ENT field, though its prevalence has been drastically reduced with the development of antibiotics and appropriate early treatment. We analyzed recent clinical characteristics of peritonsillar abscess and compared them with ones of 7 and 14 years ago respectively. Materials and Methods : Sixty-six cases of peritonsillar abscess from 2006 through 2008 were investigated retrospectively and compared with results of 7 and 14 years ago on various clinical factors. Results : Peritonsillar abscess was prevalent in men in their 20s and 30s. Mean period from symptom onset to visit to hospital tended to decrease(5.2 days) but admission days has increased(7.4 days). Body temperature on admission was lower than that of previous studies($36.4^{\circ}C$). Bacteria were isolated in 26 cases(74.2%) out of 35 cases in which culture had been performed. The most common cultured organism was a-hemolytic streptococcus and $\beta$-hemolytic streptococcus that had been most frequently cultured 14 years ago wasn't detected in this study. Conclusion : We found some changes of clinical features in peritonsillar abscess when compared with previous researches. Although there were some differences in cultured organism, antibiotics used commonly-cephalosporin, aminoglycoside, quinolone - were still effective for their eradication.