[Acute tonsillitis--peritonsillitis--paratonsillar abscess: Differential diagnosis by flexible endosonography].

The role of flexible endosonography in diagnosis of acute tonsillitis and their complications was investigated in 59 patients. Our results show that flexible endosonography enables the examiner to differentiate acute tonsillitis from peritonsillitis and paratonsillar abscess. In particular, abscesses of retrotonsillar spread possibly leading to life-threatening complications can be detected in an early stage.