Actinomycotic Tonsillitis with Expectoration of Sulfur Granules

To the Editor: Actinomycetes species are normal saprophytic inhabitants of the human oral cavity. The organisms can cause disease when there is a break in a mucosal barrier, as in cervicofacial or abdominal actinomycosis, or when they are introduced to a susceptible part of the body, as in thoracic actinomycosis initiated by aspiration. We describe a patient who had no evidence of invasive actinomycotic disease yet had a unique symptom complex attributable to the saprophytic presence of this organism. A 33-year-old man presented with a five-month history of paroxysmal cough occurring approximately every two weeks and terminated by the expulsion. . . No extract is available for articles shorter than 400 words.