Tonsillolith--report of an unusual case

Tonsilloliths are rare concretions found in the tonsillar crypt. They are usually single and unilateral, but occasionally may be multiple or bilateral. This report describes a case of a 47-year-old woman whose radiography revealed one radiopaque image located in the right ramus of the mandible. The patient revealed a history of slight dysphagia, halitosis and swallowing pain with a foreign body sensation. Her medical history revealed a tonsillectomy when she was eight years old and the removal of the uvula because of sleep apnoea six years ago. Computer tomography showed a delimited and calcified oval image measuring 0.6 x 0.6 cm. The tonsillar concretion might have been formed because of a calcification of the lymphoid tissue. On the patient's request, surgical excision was not performed and she will be monitored due to the tendency of such lesions to grow.