Epidermoid cyst localized in the palatine tonsil
A 42-year-old female came to our clinic for sore throat and difficulty in swallowing. ENT examination showed marked hypertrophy of the right tonsil in comparison with the contralateral one, and a smooth-surfaced mass near the upper pole of the tonsil []. No neck lymph nodes were palpable. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination was performed, which evidenced a protrusion of the clearly hypertrophic tonsil into the nasopharynx []. Contrast effects to suggest a malignancy were not found. Whole abdomen ultrasound examination yielded no pathological results. A right tonsillectomy was performed for diagnostic purposes after having obtained the patient's informed consent. The excised material was examined by light microscopy following hematoxylin and eosin staining. The tonsillar tissue, which included microscopic reactive follicles, showed occasional cystic cavities. It was interesting to note that these cavities contained keratin in a lamellar arrangement and their epithelium was of a squamous character []. These findings justified a diagnosis of epidermoid cyst localized in the tonsil. The patient was discharged on the first post-operative day in excellent condition; her follow-up, reaching 10 months, was entirely uneventful.