Bilateral tonsillolithiasis

a case report

Özcan, Emel DDS, PhD
Ural, Ahmet MD
Öktemer, Tuğba Koçak MD
Alpaslan, Gökhan DMD, PhD

^aOral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Yıl Ankara Oral Health Center, Ankara, Turkey
^bOtolaryngologist, Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ankara Atatürk Teaching and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
^cOtolaryngologist, Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Ankara Polatlı State Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
^dProfessor and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

Reprint requests: Prof. Dr. Gökhan Alpaslan, Gazi Üniversitesi Dishekimligi Fakültesi, 84 Sokak, Emek, 06510 Ankara, Turkey. [email protected]

Poster presentation at the Turkish Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 13th International Scientific Congress, Antalya, Turkey, May 29–June 2, 2005.

Received for publication Dec 12, 2005; accepted for publication Jan 6, 2006.

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, & Endodontics 102(3):p e17-e18, September 2006.

Although tonsilloliths are reported to be fairly common, florid cases casting distinct radiopaque shadows on panoramic radiographs are not often reported. This report illustrates such a case as an incidental finding in an asymptomatic 38-year-old female dental patient. Panoramic radiography revelaed distinct radiopaque shadows over the ascending rami of the mandible bilaterally. These radiopacities were localized to the palatine tonsils by computerized tomographic inspection. Tonsillectomy was performed and tonsillolithiasis was confirmed by histopathologic examination.