A Study on Acute Membranous Tonsillitis, Its Different Etiologies and Its Clinical Presentation in a Tertiary Referral Centre

Membranous tonsillitis is the infection of the palatine tonsils where the exudation from the crypts coalesce to form a membrane over the tonsillar surface. It is a stage ahead of the acute follicular tonsillitis. There are different etiologies for membrane formation over the tonsils. The commonest cause in the present scenario is still Corynebacterium diphtheriae. A one year prospective study was conducted on patients presenting with membranous tonsillitis in a tertiary referral centre in North-East India. Proper history was taken, clinical examination and all the necessary investigations were done. The patients were managed conservatively, while a few patients required tracheostomy. In our one year study, we found that majority of the patients presenting with acute membranous tonsillitis were males (65%) and 35% were females. Most of the cases were seen in 6–12 years of age and belonged to the lower socioeconomic group, and also to the lower Assam belt. Most of the cases were seen in the months of November to January. This prospective study gives a view of the different etiologies of acute membranous tonsillitis, its presentation and how its management affects the outcome of the patients and also affects the mortality and morbidity. This study also shows that diphtheria is still prevalent in the current Indian scenario and thus, proper implementation of the vaccination programs and prompt reporting of the cases should be done to prevent outbreaks.