ear, nose, and throat disorders
Peritonsillar Abscess and Cellulitis
Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms include gradual onset of severe unilateral sore throat, dysphagia, fever, otalgia, and asymmetric cervical adenopathy. Trismus, "hot potato" voice (speaking as if a hot object was in the mouth), a toxic appearance (eg, poor or absent eye contact, irritability, inability to be consoled or distracted, fever, anxiety), drooling, severe halitosis, tonsillar erythema, and exudates are common. Abscess and cellulitis both have swelling above the affected tonsil, but with abscess there is more of a discrete bulge, with deviation of the soft palate and uvula and pronounced trismus. 