Tonsillolith – A rare cause of halitosis and odynophagia in a 9-year-old girl

Abstract

Tonsil stones, also known as tonsilloliths or tonsiliths, areusually tiny white or yellowish mineralized structurespacked with organic debris and bacteria that develop inthe enlarged palatine tonsillar crypt. Tiny tonsillitis is commonlydetected in diagnostic imaging such as computed tomography(CT) and less so in panoramic radiography, with the prevalenceincreasing with age. Giant tonsilloliths are rare and most reportedcases have been in adults, with only a few cases reported in thepediatric population. In this report, we described a 9-year-old girlwho had suffered from halitosis for 6 months and odynophagiawith oropharyngeal foreign body sensation for 2 weeks and waslater diagnosed with a tonsil stone.

Reconocimiento de tonsilolitos en tomografía computarizada de haz cónico

“…Los tonsilolitos pueden ser únicos o múltiples, unilaterales o bilaterales; usualmente, no tienen sintomatología, pero los de mayor tamaño podrían presentar dolor, irritación, halitosis, sensación de cuerpo extraño y disfagia (5,6,8).…”