Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) is the most common complication of tonsillitis. Cultivation usually reveals a wide spectrum of aerobic and anaerobic microbiota. This retrospective study compared PTA incidence and the spectrum of individual microbial findings in groups of patients divided by gender, age, and season. Of the 966 samples cultivated, a positive cultivation finding was detected in 606 patients (62.73%). Cultivation findings were negative in 360 (37.27%), meaning no pathogen was present or only common microbiota was cultivated. The highest incidence of PTA was found in group I patients (19-50 years) (p ≤ 0.0001) and the most frequently cultured pathogens was Streptococcus pyogenes (36.23%). Gender seemed to have an influence on the results, with higher incidence found in males (p ≤ 0.0001). The analysis of correlation between PTA incidence and season did not yield statistically significant results (p = 0.4396) and no statistically significant differences were observed in individual pathogen frequency. PTA had a higher incidence in adult males and a slightly higher incidence in girls in childhood. The following findings are clinically significant and have implications for antibiotic treatment strategy: (1) the most frequently cultivated pathogen was Streptococcus pyogenes; (2) an increased incidence of anaerobes was proven in the oldest group (>50 years).

Department of Immunochemistry Diagnostics University Hospital in Pilsen Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University 300 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University city 300 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

Department of Otorhinolaryngology University Hospital in Pilsen Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen Charles University 300 00 Pilsen Czech Republic

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