However, there are cases when the gland is inflamed on one side. At the same time, the following signs indicate the development of the inflammatory process:
- sore throat;
- swelling and an increase in the size of the amygdala on one side or another;
- discoloration of the tonsils, it becomes bright pink.
The most common reasons when one gland is larger than the other:
- tonsil abscess;
- pharyngeal abscess;
- angina;
- diphtheria;
- symptomatic angina with typhoid fever;
- traumatic lesion of the amygdala.
Acute tonsillitis
Any form of sore throat usually occurs with bilateral lesions of the tonsils. However, due to individual anatomical features, predominantly one or both paired organs may become inflamed. With an asymmetric lesion, the patient is worried about a sore throat, respectively, on the left or right side.
A pharyngoscopic picture may also indicate that the left or right lymphoid organ is enlarged and hyperemic.
With the development of the follicular or lacunar form of angina, the unilateral presence of purulent foci in the amygdala is added to the objective picture. However, the asymmetric course of acute tonsillitis is atypical. More often, the disease is characterized by bilateral lesions of the glands.
Abscesses
Tonsil abscess is a purulent process that complicates the course of a sore throat. At the same time, the patient's condition worsens, and intoxication phenomena increase. An abscess usually develops 3-4 days from the onset of acute purulent tonsillitis. The main symptoms are:
- increasing one-sided sore throat, radiating to the ear, jaw;
the presence of pain when trying to open your mouth;- an increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees;
- chills;
- enlarged and sharply painful cervical, mandibular lymph nodes on the affected side;
- soreness when turning the neck;
- forced position of the body, in which the patient's head is tilted towards the lesion;
- unpleasant putrid odor from the mouth;
- difficulty speaking, the appearance of nasalism.
the presence of pain when trying to open your mouth;Objective examination reveals a sharply enlarged tumor-like formation, located asymmetrically. This is a tonsil filled with purulent contents.
With its increased volume, it shifts the tongue in the opposite direction. Patients are treated in the department of surgical profile, since the main therapeutic measure is an operation aimed at opening an abscess and evacuating pus. In the future, the affected tonsil is sanitized.
A complication of purulent tonsillitis is not only tonsil abscess.
A severe course, in which the tonsil can become inflamed, is also characterized by a pharyngeal abscess.
This process is also one-sided. Usually, the pathology develops as a result of complications of any purulent or sluggish diseases localized in the oral cavity, head area. It can be caused by dental diseases, osteomyelitis of the lower jaw. A purulent process in the mastoid and salivary gland can also lead to the development of a pharyngeal abscess.
The clinical symptoms of purulent lesions of the pharynx at the first stage are not very pronounced, since they are masked by signs of the underlying disease, acute parotitis, paratonsillitis, mastoiditis, periodontitis. With the development of the process, the phenomena of intoxication, hyperthermia, increase. The jaws are compressed as a result of the trismus of the masticatory muscles, due to a violation of their innervation.
An objective examination reveals a tumor-like formation in the corner of the lower jaw, spreading down along the neck. On palpation, unilateral swelling and soreness of these tissues is noted. The pharyngoscopic picture is characterized by a protrusion of the amygdala, soft palate and lateral pharyngeal wall. If you puncture this protrusion, you get a purulent exudate.
Treatment of patients with pharyngeal abscess should be carried out only in a hospital setting.
To reduce trismus, the patient is injected directly into the chewing muscles with a 0.5% solution of novocaine. The only possible treatment is surgery. In cases where access to the infiltrate through the throat is difficult, external opening of the periopharyngeal space is performed.
Diphtheria
Diphtheria of the oropharynx can also be characterized by an asymmetric course. In this case, the process is characterized by swelling and redness of the tonsil, soft palate and arches on the corresponding side. Fibrinous deposits are located only in the area of the amygdala, without going beyond its borders, which is typical for diphtheria. They are presented in the form of separate islands or a continuous film.
When trying to remove plaque with a spatula, they are torn off with difficulty, leaving behind an erosive bleeding surface.
With a one-sided course of diphtheria, the defeat of the lymph nodes is also localized only on the corresponding side.
The development of diphtheria of the oropharynx usually has a benign course. However, the transformation of the disease into a more severe toxic or widespread form, which requires specific treatment, is not excluded. Therefore, if diphtheria is suspected, the patient should be carefully examined. Clarification of the diagnosis is possible with the help of laboratory tests.
Traumatic injury
The traumatic nature of the lesion can also lead to the development of a one-sided pathological process in the throat. Inflammation of one of the tonsils can be caused by trauma to it with a rough piece of food, a bone fragment. As a result of such mechanical action, an inflammatory process develops in the tissues of the amygdala, manifested by swelling, redness. Patients notice pain in the throat from the affected side. A similar process develops in the tonsils when exposed to a chemical or thermal factor. Accidental or deliberate use of vinegar, acids can also lead to unilateral inflammation of the tonsil.
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever is an infectious disease caused by a salmonella pathogen. The main features are
- sharp malaise;
- increased body temperature;
- abdominal pain;
- diarrhea;
- enlargement of the liver and spleen.
The defeat of the tonsils can be determined already at the stage of the prodromal period, when the patient's temperature rises, worries about malaise, sore throat. Inflammation in the throat at this stage has the character of a catarrhal, often symmetrical process.
After 7-8 days, the pharyngoscopic picture changes. The amygdala looks altered on one side only. Many small erosions appear on its surface, which look like saucers with red edges and a dirty white bottom. They extend beyond the organ, spreading to the palatine arches. In this case, the pathological process is characterized as ulcerative-necrotic.
A typical sign of tonsillitis with typhoid fever is the absence of pain when the spatula touches the affected organ.
Any inflammatory process in the tonsils requires mandatory consultation with an otolaryngologist, since incorrect or untimely treatment can lead to the development of severe and dangerous complications.Often, a unilateral lesion requires surgical treatment.
