This study reports on an immunohistochemical examination of the tonsils. For this purpose 10 clinically healthy tonsils, 15 with acute tonsillitis, 40 with chronic cryptic tonsillitis and 16 hyperplastic tonsils were studied by means of the direct immunofluorescent technique. With regard to the clinically healthy tonsils: the number, the size of the germinal centres and the density of the immunocytes in them were very large in the hyperplastic tonsils, large in chronic cryptic tonsillitis, but remarkably decreased in acute tonsillitis. The disseminated immunoglobulin of the centres also presented a significant increase in all of them. In the extrafollicular area the fluorescent immunocytes were significantly increased. Although we did not notice differences in the density of IgA and IgM immunocytes between chronic cryptic tonsillitis and hyperplastic tonsils in the acute tonsillitis IgA immunocytes were found to be increased.
Adolescent Adult