This retrospective study compared immediate operation of a
peritonsillar abscess (quinsy tonsillectomy) with immediate incision
and drainage or permucosal aspiration followed by interval
tonsillectomy. The study consisted of 148 cases treated from 1976 to
1994. Patient's ages ranged from 1 to 70 years (mean 28.7 years). There
were 81 males and 67 females. Quinsy tonsillectomy was performed in 59
patients and permucosal aspiration or incision and drainage in 89
patients. The results showed that quinsy tonsillectomy had no
significantly greater complications than permucosal aspiration and
incision and drainage. The procedure of quinsy tonsillectomy was less
difficult than interval tonsillectomy and constituted a one-stage
curative operation. Hospitalization was reduced significantly
(p<0.01) when compared to interval tonsillectomy