The authors report two recent cases of tuberculosis of the tonsil. One is a very rare primary case of tuberculosis of the tonsil and the other is a secondary lesion from the tuberculosis of the lung. Although the incidence of tuberculosis of the tonsil has greatly decreased, the otolaryngologist still may encounter the disease nowadays.
A review of Japanese literature revealed that 1) 19 cases of tuberculosis of the tonsil were reported during the past 18 years, 2) a tendency is observed in which more cases are affected by the hematogenous route during recrudescence of remittent lung tuberculosis and 3) histopathological examination is essential for confirmation of the disease.
