Department of Otolaryngology, University of Illinois, Chicago Medical Center, USA.
Despite increased strictness in surgical criteria, tonsillectomy continues to be one of the most common outpatient surgical procedures performed in the United States. The primary care physician is integrally involved in the diagnosis and treatment of tonsillitis, the chief reason for tonsillectomy. This article gives guidelines for diagnosis and management of tonsillitis and provides an overview of its potential complications.