Acute necrotizing ulcerative tonsillitis and gingivitis (Vincent's infections).

The cases of two patients with acute necrotizing ulcerative infections are reported. One had involvement of the tonsil and the other, of the gingivae. In both cases a Gram stain revealed abundant fusiform rods and spirochetes. Both patients responded to treatment with oral penicillin, showing improvement and/or healing in three to six days. These two cases demonstrate the usefulness of the Gram stain in supporting a diagnosis which would otherwise rest solely on clinical grounds.