Prevalence of tonsillar actinomyces in children

Introduction. Actinomyces occupy the third place in prevalence in the palatine tonsils, sharing it with staphylococci. The role of these microorganisms in tonsillar pathology is poorly understood so far. Aim. To determine the prevalence of tonsillar actinomycosis in pediatric tonsillectomies performed for chronic tonsillitis based on the degree of tonsil hypertrophy. Materials and Methods. Palatine tonsils of 121 children aged 8 to 14 years were examined histologically. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 included 60 children with grade 2 hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, and Group 2 included 61 children with grade 3 hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils. Histological analysis of the specimens was performed using direct microscopy and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results were processed using mathematical statistics methods with the statistical criterion to evaluate contingency tables. Results and Discussion. Actinomycetes were found in 17 of 121 palatine tonsil specimens examined, which amounted to 14% of the total number of patients. In patients with grade 2 hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, actinomycetes were detected in 11.6% of cases, while in those with grade 3 hypertrophy in 16.4%. The difference in the incidence of Actinomycosis between two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Actinomycetes are the part of the tonsillar microbiota, which do not actively interact with lymphoid tissue.