Tonsillar AbscessNCT04543708
Surgical Treatment of Tonsillar Abscess
A study testing Incision drainage and Tonsillectomy in people with Tonsillar Abscess, run by University Hospital, Geneva at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The diagnosis and treatment of tonsillar abscess are very physician-dependent, as sufficient prospective medical literature is lacking to choose the most efficient regimen. The proposed study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of tonsillectomy compared to drainage under local anesthesia. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Tonsillar Abscess
- What is being tested?
- Incision drainage and Tonsillectomy
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 42 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 1 Oct 2020to 22 Feb 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patients ≥18 years of age with clinical suspicion of unilateral tonsillar abscess without signs of "extra-capsular" complication.
- Obtaining informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Contraindications to injected CT or drainage in local anesthesia (allergy to iodinated contrast product, allergy to local anesthetics, phobia of needles, major trismus).
- Parapharyngeal or retropharyngeal abscess, or associated venous thrombosis found on CT.
- Imminent threat to the upper respiratory tract (glottic edema, acute dyspnea).
- Inability to understand the different procedures (dementia, impossible communication, substance abuse).
- Anamnestic pregnancy.
- Antiaggregant or anticoagulant treatment.
- Treatment of corticosteroids during the management of emergencies and in hospital.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
University Hospitalas Geneva
Geneva, Canton of Geneva, 1211
About this study
Official title: Treatment of Tonsillar Abscess: A Randomized Clinical Trial in a Tertiary Center
The diagnosis and treatment of tonsillar abscess are very physician-dependent, as sufficient prospective medical literature is lacking to choose the most efficient regimen. The proposed study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of tonsillectomy compared to drainage under local anesthesia. This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial in adults in a tertiary care center in Geneva (Switzerland).
Read the detailed description
Introduction:
Tonsillar abscess is the most common complication of acute bacterial angina. The abscess is located in the majority of cases in the capsular space and occasionally within the tonsil itself. The ethiopathogenesis is polymicrobial, composed mainly of Streptococcus Pyogenes (aerobic) and Fusobacterium Necrophorum (anaerobe). This condition mainly affects young adults, smokers and significantly impacts quality of life. Symptoms are noisy, characterized by severe odynodysphagia, often limited mouth opening (trismus), and occasionally dyspnea, fever, and decreased general condition. Its complications include upper airway obstruction, spread of infection into the deep tissues of the neck and mediastinum, septic venous thrombosis, and arterial hemorrhage from contact necrosis. The descriptions of the management of this pathology are centuries old, but even today there is a need to drain the pus. We estimate that around 200 patients per year present to our University Hospital in Geneva (Switzerland) with suspected tonsillar abscess.
Diagnosis:
The medical literature describes several diagnostic methods without clear consensus on the most effective. The doctor's clinical suspicion varies according to the examiner's experience, although certain criteria are recognized as good predictors of the presence of an abscess (trismus, edema, uvula deviation, "hot potato voice", reflex otalgia), but with limited sensitivity and specificity. When clinically suspected, confirmation of the presence of pus can be determined by direct puncture or drainage, allowing immediate diagnosis, but with a high proportion of false negatives and requiring a painful invasive procedure. Ultrasound (US) and Computed Tomography (CT) provide a painless diagnosis, but US requires a specific oral probe and may be unfeasible in case of trismus, and its interpretation is very examiner-dependent. CT remains an irradiating, costly and time-consuming exam, but it is sensitive and can formally exclude any associated complication (venous thrombosis, retro- or parapharyngeal extension, contralateral involvement). The gold-standard for the diagnosis of a tonsillar abscess is the direct visualization of pus during drainage.
Treatment:
Regarding the treatment, here too the evidence-based literature is not clear about the most effective (except in children, in whom local anesthesia intervention is most of the time impractical). It usually consists of a combination of medical and surgical therapy. Medical therapy generally includes - in addition to hydration and pain-killers - intravenous antibiotics and requires approximately 3 days of hospitalization. There are several described technics for the surgical drainage. Repeated needle punctures, incisional drainage under local anesthesia, and tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. The latter two are favored because they are more effective on immediate pain. To our knowledge, only two prospective randomized studies (partially for one) of 51 and 53 patients have studied the efficacy of these two interventions and their conclusions only relate to the absence of difference in the length of hospital stay.
The retrospective data show good efficacy of both modalities (incision drainage under local anesthesia vs tonsillectomy under general anesthesia) and the choice of their execution is strongly center- and physician-dependent. Incision drainage avoids general anesthesia but is extremely unpleasant, requiring repeated rinsing which is painful for the patient and time-consuming for the medical team. This modality is grafted with a failure rate of around 20% in the literature as well as in our own experience, requiring further tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Furthermore, the recurrence rate is estimated at 9-22%. Conversely, the first-line tonsillectomy requires a general anesthesia but immediately relieves some of the pain and the trismus, allows an almost certain resolution of the infection, prevents any recurrence, seems economically more advantageous and does not require the collaboration of the patient during the procedure.
As the medical literature does not offer clear guidelines based on prospective trials, the proposed study aims to prospectively evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the tonsillectomy compared to the drainage under local anesthesia.
This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial by adults in a tertiary care center in Geneva (Switzerland).
- Conditions
- Tonsillar Abscess
- Being tested
- Incision drainage, Tonsillectomy
- Keywords
- Tonsil, Abscess, Tonsillectomy, Local anesthesia, CT-scan
- Medical subject headings
- Abscess
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Incision drainageProcedure or surgery
Oropharyngeal pre-anesthesia is performed with 10% xylocaine spray, then submucosal anesthesia of the anterior pillar of the tonsil is performed with 2 ml of Rapidocaine or Rapidocaine 1 or 2% adrenaline. A scalpel incision is made with the search for the abscess pocket with a crile. If pus is present, a NaCl / Betadine rinse is performed. A syringe puncture can help locate the abscess if needed. The duration is approximately 15 minutes.
If no purulent pouch is found, the procedure is completed with tonsillectomy under general anesthesia.
TonsillectomyProcedure or surgery
Under general anesthesia, in dorsal decubitus, an autostatic mouth opener is placed, an incision of the anterior pillar of the tonsil allows the opening of the capsular space, along which the entire tonsil is dissected until complete extraction, hemostasis is performed, then the patient is awakened. The duration is approximately 30 minutes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Incision drainage | Active comparator | Adult with clinical suspicion of tonsillar abscess who underwent a CT-scan confirming the abscess will be randomly assigned to one arm or the other. "Incision drainage" arm will benefit from drainage of the tonsillar abscess under local anesthesia and then be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics. If the incision drainage fails, they will get a tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Receives: Procedure: Incision drainage |
| Tonsillectomy | Active comparator | Adult with clinical suspicion of tonsillar abscess who underwent a CT-scan confirming the abscess will be randomly assigned to one arm or the other. "Tonsillectomy" arm will benefit from tonsillectomy under general anesthesia and then be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics. Receives: Procedure: Tonsillectomy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Proportion of treatment success (%)
Disappearance of fever if any + decrease in leukocytosis and CRP value + no sign of recollection nor cervical extension of the infection.
Measured: 3 days
Secondary outcomes (1)
Recurrence rate (%)
Reccurence of a tonsillar abscess on the same side post-operatively.
Measured: 3 and 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Sep 2020
- Study start1 Oct 2020
- Primary completion22 Feb 2024
- Study completion22 Feb 2024
Why it stopped: For efficacy reasons
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (19)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Tonsillar AbscessStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, GenevaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Geneva
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, François Voruz, University Hospital, Geneva
- Investigators
- François Voruz, MD, Principal investigator, University Hospital, Geneva
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04543708
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-01516
- Status last verified
- Apr 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Sep 2020
- Last updated
- 1 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Powell EL, Powell J, Samuel JR, Wilson JA. A review of the pathogenesis of adult peritonsillar abscess: time for a re-evaluation. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013 Sep;68(9):1941-50. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkt128. Epub 2013 Apr 23.
PubMed 23612569Windfuhr JP, Toepfner N, Steffen G, Waldfahrer F, Berner R. Clinical practice guideline: tonsillitis II. Surgical management. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016 Apr;273(4):989-1009. doi: 10.1007/s00405-016-3904-x. Epub 2016 Feb 16.
PubMed 26882912Albertz N, Nazar G. Peritonsillar abscess: treatment with immediate tonsillectomy - 10 years of experience. Acta Otolaryngol. 2012 Oct;132(10):1102-7. doi: 10.3109/00016489.2012.684399. Epub 2012 Jun 18.
PubMed 22708633Lehnerdt G, Senska K, Fischer M, Jahnke K. [Smoking promotes the formation of peritonsillar abscesses]. Laryngorhinootologie. 2005 Sep;84(9):676-9. doi: 10.1055/s-2005-870289. German.
PubMed 16142623Powell J, Powell EL, Conroy K, Hopkins C, Moor JW, Wilson JA. Throat-related quality of life in peritonsillar abscess sufferers: application of the adult tonsil outcome inventory. J Laryngol Otol. 2013 Dec;127(12):1190-3. doi: 10.1017/S0022215113003071. Epub 2013 Nov 20.
PubMed 24252628Grant MC, Raggio B, Barton B, Guarisco JL. Establishing the Need for an Evidence-Based Treatment Algorithm for Peritonsillar Abscess in Children. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018 Oct;57(12):1385-1390. doi: 10.1177/0009922818778048. Epub 2018 May 29.
PubMed 29808740Scott PM, Loftus WK, Kew J, Ahuja A, Yue V, van Hasselt CA. Diagnosis of peritonsillar infections: a prospective study of ultrasound, computerized tomography and clinical diagnosis. J Laryngol Otol. 1999 Mar;113(3):229-32. doi: 10.1017/s0022215100143634.
PubMed 10435129Salihoglu M, Eroglu M, Yildirim AO, Cakmak A, Hardal U, Kara K. Transoral ultrasonography in the diagnosis and treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Clin Imaging. 2013 May-Jun;37(3):465-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2012.09.023. Epub 2012 Oct 25.
PubMed 23102927Carratola MC, Frisenda G, Gastanaduy M, Guarisco JL. Association of Computed Tomography With Treatment and Timing of Care in Adult Patients With Peritonsillar Abscess. Ochsner J. 2019 Winter;19(4):309-313. doi: 10.31486/toj.18.0168.
PubMed 31903053Patel KS, Ahmad S, O'Leary G, Michel M. The role of computed tomography in the management of peritonsillar abscess. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992 Dec;107(6 Pt 1):727-32. doi: 10.1177/019459988910700603.1.
PubMed 1470448Teschner M, Aljeraisi T, Giesemann A, Gotz F, Lenarz T, Kontorinis G. [The role of CT in the diagnosis of peritonsillar abscesses after Punctio Sicca]. Laryngorhinootologie. 2013 Jan;92(1):25-9. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1327709. Epub 2012 Nov 19. German.
PubMed 23165703Johnson RF, Stewart MG, Wright CC. An evidence-based review of the treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Mar;128(3):332-43. doi: 10.1067/mhn.2003.93.
PubMed 12646835Powell J, Wilson JA. An evidence-based review of peritonsillar abscess. Clin Otolaryngol. 2012 Apr;37(2):136-45. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-4486.2012.02452.x.
PubMed 22321140Hur K, Zhou S, Kysh L. Adjunct steroids in the treatment of peritonsillar abscess: A systematic review. Laryngoscope. 2018 Jan;128(1):72-77. doi: 10.1002/lary.26672. Epub 2017 May 31.
PubMed 28561258Fagan JJ, Wormald PJ. Quinsy tonsillectomy or interval tonsillectomy--a prospective randomised trial. S Afr Med J. 1994 Oct;84(10):689-90.
PubMed 7839259
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Treatment of Tonsillar Abscess: A Randomized Clinical Trial in a Tertiary Center
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04543708
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020-01516
- Conditions
- Tonsillar Abscess
- Keywords
- Tonsil, Abscess, Tonsillectomy, Local anesthesia, CT-scan
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: For efficacy reasons
- Enrolment
- 42 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, GenevaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Oct 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Feb 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Sep 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The diagnosis and treatment of tonsillar abscess are very physician-dependent, as sufficient prospective medical literature is lacking to choose the most efficient regimen. The proposed study aims to assess the therapeutic efficacy of tonsillectomy compared to drainage under local anesthesia. This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial in adults in a tertiary care center in Geneva (Switzerland).
Detailed description
Introduction:
Tonsillar abscess is the most common complication of acute bacterial angina. The abscess is located in the majority of cases in the capsular space and occasionally within the tonsil itself. The ethiopathogenesis is polymicrobial, composed mainly of Streptococcus Pyogenes (aerobic) and Fusobacterium Necrophorum (anaerobe). This condition mainly affects young adults, smokers and significantly impacts quality of life. Symptoms are noisy, characterized by severe odynodysphagia, often limited mouth opening (trismus), and occasionally dyspnea, fever, and decreased general condition. Its complications include upper airway obstruction, spread of infection into the deep tissues of the neck and mediastinum, septic venous thrombosis, and arterial hemorrhage from contact necrosis. The descriptions of the management of this pathology are centuries old, but even today there is a need to drain the pus. We estimate that around 200 patients per year present to our University Hospital in Geneva (Switzerland) with suspected tonsillar abscess.
Diagnosis:
The medical literature describes several diagnostic methods without clear consensus on the most effective. The doctor's clinical suspicion varies according to the examiner's experience, although certain criteria are recognized as good predictors of the presence of an abscess (trismus, edema, uvula deviation, "hot potato voice", reflex otalgia), but with limited sensitivity and specificity. When clinically suspected, confirmation of the presence of pus can be determined by direct puncture or drainage, allowing immediate diagnosis, but with a high proportion of false negatives and requiring a painful invasive procedure. Ultrasound (US) and Computed Tomography (CT) provide a painless diagnosis, but US requires a specific oral probe and may be unfeasible in case of trismus, and its interpretation is very examiner-dependent. CT remains an irradiating, costly and time-consuming exam, but it is sensitive and can formally exclude any associated complication (venous thrombosis, retro- or parapharyngeal extension, contralateral involvement). The gold-standard for the diagnosis of a tonsillar abscess is the direct visualization of pus during drainage.
Treatment:
Regarding the treatment, here too the evidence-based literature is not clear about the most effective (except in children, in whom local anesthesia intervention is most of the time impractical). It usually consists of a combination of medical and surgical therapy. Medical therapy generally includes - in addition to hydration and pain-killers - intravenous antibiotics and requires approximately 3 days of hospitalization. There are several described technics for the surgical drainage. Repeated needle punctures, incisional drainage under local anesthesia, and tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. The latter two are favored because they are more effective on immediate pain. To our knowledge, only two prospective randomized studies (partially for one) of 51 and 53 patients have studied the efficacy of these two interventions and their conclusions only relate to the absence of difference in the length of hospital stay.
The retrospective data show good efficacy of both modalities (incision drainage under local anesthesia vs tonsillectomy under general anesthesia) and the choice of their execution is strongly center- and physician-dependent. Incision drainage avoids general anesthesia but is extremely unpleasant, requiring repeated rinsing which is painful for the patient and time-consuming for the medical team. This modality is grafted with a failure rate of around 20% in the literature as well as in our own experience, requiring further tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. Furthermore, the recurrence rate is estimated at 9-22%. Conversely, the first-line tonsillectomy requires a general anesthesia but immediately relieves some of the pain and the trismus, allows an almost certain resolution of the infection, prevents any recurrence, seems economically more advantageous and does not require the collaboration of the patient during the procedure.
As the medical literature does not offer clear guidelines based on prospective trials, the proposed study aims to prospectively evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the tonsillectomy compared to the drainage under local anesthesia.
This is a prospective, randomized clinical trial by adults in a tertiary care center in Geneva (Switzerland).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Incision drainage | Active comparator | Procedure: Incision drainageAdult with clinical suspicion of tonsillar abscess who underwent a CT-scan confirming the abscess will be randomly assigned to one arm or the other. "Incision drainage" arm will benefit from drainage of the tonsillar abscess under local anesthesia and then be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics. If the incision drainage fails, they will get a tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. |
| Tonsillectomy | Active comparator | Procedure: TonsillectomyAdult with clinical suspicion of tonsillar abscess who underwent a CT-scan confirming the abscess will be randomly assigned to one arm or the other. "Tonsillectomy" arm will benefit from tonsillectomy under general anesthesia and then be hospitalized for intravenous antibiotics. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patients ≥18 years of age with clinical suspicion of unilateral tonsillar abscess without signs of "extra-capsular" complication.
- Obtaining informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Contraindications to injected CT or drainage in local anesthesia (allergy to iodinated contrast product, allergy to local anesthetics, phobia of needles, major trismus).
- Parapharyngeal or retropharyngeal abscess, or associated venous thrombosis found on CT.
- Imminent threat to the upper respiratory tract (glottic edema, acute dyspnea).
- Inability to understand the different procedures (dementia, impossible communication, substance abuse).
- Anamnestic pregnancy.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Incision drainageOropharyngeal pre-anesthesia is performed with 10% xylocaine spray, then submucosal anesthesia of the anterior pillar of the tonsil is performed with 2 ml of Rapidocaine or Rapidocaine 1 or 2% adrenaline. A scalpel incision is made with the search for the abscess pocket with a crile. If pus is present, a NaCl / Betadine rinse is performed. A syringe puncture can help locate the abscess if needed. The duration is approximately 15 minutes. If no purulent pouch is found, the procedure is completed with tonsillectomy under general anesthesia. | Procedure or surgery | Incision drainage |
| TonsillectomyUnder general anesthesia, in dorsal decubitus, an autostatic mouth opener is placed, an incision of the anterior pillar of the tonsil allows the opening of the capsular space, along which the entire tonsil is dissected until complete extraction, hemostasis is performed, then the patient is awakened. The duration is approximately 30 minutes. | Procedure or surgery | Tonsillectomy |
Primary outcome
Proportion of treatment success (%)
Time frame: 3 days
Disappearance of fever if any + decrease in leukocytosis and CRP value + no sign of recollection nor cervical extension of the infection.
1 secondary outcome
Recurrence rate (%)
Time frame: 3 and 12 months
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: For efficacy reasons). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2026.
- Background: PubMed 23612569Powell EL, Powell J, Samuel JR, Wilson JA. A review of the pathogenesis of adult peritonsillar abscess: time for a re-evaluation. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2013 Sep;68(9):1941-50. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkt128. Epub 2013 Apr 23.
- Background: PubMed 26882912Windfuhr JP, Toepfner N, Steffen G, Waldfahrer F, Berner R. Clinical practice guideline: tonsillitis II. Surgical management. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2016 Apr;273(4):989-1009. doi: 10.1007/s00405-016-3904-x. Epub 2016 Feb 16.
- Background: PubMed 22708633Albertz N, Nazar G. Peritonsillar abscess: treatment with immediate tonsillectomy - 10 years of experience. Acta Otolaryngol. 2012 Oct;132(10):1102-7. doi: 10.3109/00016489.2012.684399. Epub 2012 Jun 18.
- Background: PubMed 16142623Lehnerdt G, Senska K, Fischer M, Jahnke K. [Smoking promotes the formation of peritonsillar abscesses]. Laryngorhinootologie. 2005 Sep;84(9):676-9. doi: 10.1055/s-2005-870289. German.
- Background: PubMed 24252628Powell J, Powell EL, Conroy K, Hopkins C, Moor JW, Wilson JA. Throat-related quality of life in peritonsillar abscess sufferers: application of the adult tonsil outcome inventory. J Laryngol Otol. 2013 Dec;127(12):1190-3. doi: 10.1017/S0022215113003071. Epub 2013 Nov 20.
- Background: PubMed 29808740Grant MC, Raggio B, Barton B, Guarisco JL. Establishing the Need for an Evidence-Based Treatment Algorithm for Peritonsillar Abscess in Children. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018 Oct;57(12):1385-1390. doi: 10.1177/0009922818778048. Epub 2018 May 29.
- Background: PubMed 10435129Scott PM, Loftus WK, Kew J, Ahuja A, Yue V, van Hasselt CA. Diagnosis of peritonsillar infections: a prospective study of ultrasound, computerized tomography and clinical diagnosis. J Laryngol Otol. 1999 Mar;113(3):229-32. doi: 10.1017/s0022215100143634.
- Background: PubMed 23102927Salihoglu M, Eroglu M, Yildirim AO, Cakmak A, Hardal U, Kara K. Transoral ultrasonography in the diagnosis and treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Clin Imaging. 2013 May-Jun;37(3):465-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2012.09.023. Epub 2012 Oct 25.
- Background: PubMed 31903053Carratola MC, Frisenda G, Gastanaduy M, Guarisco JL. Association of Computed Tomography With Treatment and Timing of Care in Adult Patients With Peritonsillar Abscess. Ochsner J. 2019 Winter;19(4):309-313. doi: 10.31486/toj.18.0168.
- Background: PubMed 1470448Patel KS, Ahmad S, O'Leary G, Michel M. The role of computed tomography in the management of peritonsillar abscess. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992 Dec;107(6 Pt 1):727-32. doi: 10.1177/019459988910700603.1.
- Background: PubMed 23165703Teschner M, Aljeraisi T, Giesemann A, Gotz F, Lenarz T, Kontorinis G. [The role of CT in the diagnosis of peritonsillar abscesses after Punctio Sicca]. Laryngorhinootologie. 2013 Jan;92(1):25-9. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1327709. Epub 2012 Nov 19. German.
- Background: PubMed 12646835Johnson RF, Stewart MG, Wright CC. An evidence-based review of the treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Mar;128(3):332-43. doi: 10.1067/mhn.2003.93.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
François Voruz, MD principal investigator
University Hospital, Geneva
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Incision drainage and Tonsillectomy in people with Tonsillar Abscess, run by University Hospital, Geneva at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: For efficacy reasons). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Proportion of treatment success (%) (time frame: 3 days). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04543708, which also lists 19 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2026.