[Investigation of the infectious route of peritonsillar abscess]

One hundred and thirty-one cases of peritonsillar abscess were studied to investigate the pathogenesis and the infectious route. The involved tonsils were resected in 83 patients. The surface of the resected tonsils was smooth and intact, neither ulceration nor pustular sinus was found on the surface of the upper part of these tonsils. There were some inflammatory and/or fibrotic minor salivary glands (Weber's glands) on the top of the quinsy tonsils. The glands adjacent to the tonsils of non-quinsy patients had normal appearance. It suggests that the origin of peritonsillar infection might be the Weber's glands rather than extension from acutely inflamed tonsil.