Description
Despite the emergence of newer and safer operative
techniques, reluctance amongst otolaryngologists to perform
lingual tonsil surgery persists to this day. Lingual tonsillar
pathology has been implicated in a variety of upper
aerodigestive tract symptoms including globus pharyngeus. A
high index of suspicion coupled with a fibreoptic
examination of the tongue base and hypopharynx are
essential for the diagnosis. We present a series of 30 patients
over a 10-year period, with globus pharyngeus and
underlying lingual tonsil hyperplasia, who underwent
potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) laser vaporization of
the lingual tonsils with satisfactory short- and long-term
results.
