Giant tonsillolith: report of a case

Tonsilloliths or tonsil stones are calcifications that form in the crypts of the palatal tonsils. These calculi are composed of calcium salts either alone or in combination with other mineral salts, and are usually of small size - though there have been occasional reports of large tonsilloliths or calculi in peritonsillar locations. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman with a one-year history of dysphagia and pharyngeal discomfort with a foreign body sensation, though the manifestations had recently intensified. Exploration of the oral cavity revealed a hard bulging submucosal mass in the region of the soft palate, at right anterior tonsillar pillar level. The mucosa overlying the lesion appeared erythematous. Computed tomography revealed a large, delimited and highly calcified oval image measuring 2.5 x 1.5 cm, which was subsequently surgically removed.