[The role of Toxoplasma gondii in the etiology of chronic tonsillitis in children].

Toxoplasma gondii is known to have an affinity to lymphatic tissue. A series of 506 children with chronic tonsillitis were examined serologically for toxoplasmosis by means of CBR, IIR and ELISA. In 7.7% of the children examined low toxoplasma antibody titers were recorded. Isolation experiments performed on tonsillar tissue of the children with the highest toxoplasma antibody titers were negative. Direct microscopic evidence of tissue toxoplasma cysts failed to be established and the cytopathologic picture characteristic of nodal toxoplasmosis was not present in smears of cells aspirated from lymphatic nodes regional to palatine tonsils. The authors assumed that chronic toxoplasma tonsillitis did not occur in the series studied. In our ecological conditions, T. gondii may not be involved in the etiology of chronic tonsillitis, or it may participate to an extent which is epidemiologically negligible. (Tab. 4, Ref. 14).