Radium Treatment of Granular or Hypertrophied Lateral Pharyngeal Tonsillar Bands1

Chronic pharyngitis is a painful and disabling affliction. The symptoms, findings and pathologic changes are fully described in textbooks on otolaryngology (7). The lymph follicles covering the entire pharynx and the nasopharynx undergo hypertrophy and the lymphoid cells around the ducts of the glands produce red, raised patches which are seen easily on inspection. This condition is the so-called granular pharyngitis. When the lateral pharyngeal tonsillar bands are hypertrophied, the infection usually is termed “lateral pharyngitis.” As Schenck (12) has pointed out, elimination of all infected tissue in Waldeyer's ring cannot be accomplished by operative procedures alone. When operation is resorted to, compensatory hypertrophy subsequently occurs. Lillie stated that the faucial or palatine tonsil is the only one that can be completely removed surgically. After the operation there is a tendency, in some instances, for the lateral pharyngeal bands or the tonsillar plaque in the lateral pharyngeal wall to un...