A case of inflammation limited to a pendulous tonsil (tonsillar polyp) that was initially suspected of being malignant

Abstract

We herein report a case of inflammation of a pendulous tonsil that was initially suspected of being malignant. A teenage girl had been experiencing discomfort when swallowing for several years and visited a local doctor because of sudden dysphagia and hemoptysis. The pharyngeal cavity was narrowed by a dark-red mass about 3cm in diameter with a base near the right inferior tonsillar pole, and the patient was referred to our department the next day under suspicion of a hemangioma of the oropharynx. At the initial visit, the mass was erythematous and swollen with white moss. Blood tests showed a mild inflammatory reaction, but the coagulation function was normal. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging suggested malignant lymphoma or a malignant solid tumor as possible differential diagnoses. One week later, the inflammation of the mass had subsided, and the appearance resembled the right palatine tonsil. A biopsy showed inflammation of the tonsil tissue. Three weeks after the initial visit, tonsillectomy was performed. A histopathologic examination revealed that the mass was hyperplasia of the tonsil and was not malignant.