Otolaryngology >>>> Lingual tonsil - what is it?
Lingual tonsil - what is it?
Under the layer of the mucous membrane of the lower jaw in the region of the tongue root, there is an accumulation of lymphoid tissue called the lingual tonsil. A person does not notice the existence of a lingual tonsil until it becomes inflamed. Usually we deal with inflammation of the tonsils and know how to treat them. But the appearance of an inflamed lingual tonsil can cause panic, as it resembles a lingual swelling. Another name for the lingual tonsil is the pharyngeal tonsil.
The causes of inflammation of the lingual tonsils are the same as those of the palatine tonsils - these are bacterial, viral and fungal infections that trigger the immune response mechanism and cause the lymphoid tissue (accumulation of lymphocytes) to increase in size.
But there are other reasons for the enlargement of the lingual tonsil: hypertrophy of the glandular - vascular tissue, which occurs as a result of the proliferation of the vascular network and / or an increase in the number of glands.
The doctor can determine the exact cause of the enlargement of the lingual tonsil as a result of an examination of the state of the body. Lymphoid proliferation of the lingual tonsil is usually detected against the background of other diseases of infectious etiology (tonsillitis, glossitis, etc.).
An increase in the size of the lingual tonsil can be caused by the presence of tumors or cysts in the sublingual region.
An increase in the lingual tonsil that has nothing to do with diseases may be due to the specifics of the person's profession (singers, swimmers, glassblowers, speaking in public without a voice amplifier, people).
Treatment of an enlarged lingual tonsil is carried out according to the identified reasons for its enlargement. Infectious diseases that provoke the proliferation of the lymphoid tissue of the tonsils are treated with antimicrobial drugs.
An increase in the size of the lingual tonsil as a result of physiological changes in other structures of the oral cavity is treated using surgical methods of treatment, excising areas of overgrown tissue.
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