Tonsillitis (R76)

Tonsillitis is an infection of the mucosa and parenchyma of the tonsils. The most common causative micro-organisms of an uncomplicated tonsillitis are viruses (e.g. coxsackievirus, respiratory syncytial virus) or bacteria (e.g. Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent in 2% of cases. The beta-haemolytic Streptococcus group A subtype (that may also cause scarlet fever) used to be notorious for causing complications but this is less common nowadays. A distinction between the viral and bacterial causes of tonsillitis cannot reliably be made in the office. Patients with tonsillitis most often present complaining of a