Spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage

Abstract

Eleven patients diagnosed with spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage (STH) of noniatrogenic/nontraumatic causes are reported and discussed. Patients ranged from 4 to 63 years old (29. 6 on average), consisting of six males and five females. Eight of the eleven STHs were secondary to acute tonsillitis without any hematologic disorders. Two cases of STH were observed in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura; one case involved acute tonsillitis. In an elderly female patient, there was diffuse parenchymatous tonsillar bleeding of unknown origin. All cases involved peripheral tonsil vessel hemorrhage. In ten patients, the bleeding stopped spontaneously; in one patient, oxidized cellulose application by local pressure was used for hemostasis. STH is not a disease, but symptomatic bleeding from the tonsil, mainly associated with acute tonsillitis, and it may be frequently overlooked without recognition of this rare entity.