Peritonsillar abscess

The goals of treatment of pharyngitis are to improve clinical signs and symptoms, minimize adverse drug reactions, prevent transmission to close contacts, and prevent acute rheumatic fever and suppurative complications, such as peritonsillar abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, and mastoiditis. ... 

Rarely, pharyngitis—resembling tonsillitis and associated with cervical lymphadenopathy—has been reported.17,55 A plague syndrome of cervical buboes, peritonsillar abscesses, and fulminant pneumonia has also been reported to occur among Indians of Ecuador, who are known to catch and kill fleas and lice with their teeth. It is thought, although not proven, that endobronchial aspiration from peritonsillar abscesses leads to fulminant pneumonia. A similar syndrome may have occurred in Vietnam.55... 

The goals of therapy for streptococcal pharyngitis are to eradicate infection in order to prevent complications, shorten the disease course, and reduce infectivity and spread to close contacts. Sequelae that can be prevented by antibiotic use are peritonsillar or retropharyngeal abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, and rheumatic fever. There is no evidence that antibiotic use has an impact on the incidence of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. 

Nonsuppurative comphcations such as acute rheumatic fever, acute glomerulonephritis, and reactive arthritis may occur, as well as suppurative complications, such as peritonsillar abcess, retropharyngeal abscess, cervical lymphadenitis, mastoiditis, otitis media, sinusitis, and necrotizing fascutis. 

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