The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphologicaland functional role of microcrypts in recurrent tonsillitis.
Tonsil specimens from recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy were taken and observed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and they were also observed for the cryptal permeability by
electron
dense tracers, such as horseradish peroxidase(HRP) iron dextran and ferritin.
Three types of microcrypts were found and there were no differences in their distribution between recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy. However, epithelial thinning and/or epithelial breakage in tonsillar surface of recurrent
tonsillitis
was seen. There were more frequent crypts with inflammatory infiltrates, such as lymphocytes, plasma cells and phagocytes in recurrent tonsillitis. Recurrent tonsillitis had much more denuded area than hypertrophic tonsils. Electron dense
tracers,
such as HRP, iron dextran, and ferritin, could penetrate the reticulated epithelium and specialized epithelial cells which might suggest antigen uptake in cryptal epithelium.
Therefore, even though there were no differences in microcryptal distribution and morphology between recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy, recurrent tonsillitis showed severe inflammatory infiltration with denuded cryptal epithelium
and
also
pinocytotic uptake of foreign materials which might suggest function ally active.
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