No preventive techniques other than tonsillectomy are available. The infection may spread, before it abscesses, into a fairly large area of the soft palate, and when the abscess finally forms, it may include a good portion of that side of the soft palate. The abscess may displace the tonsil, and cause pain, fever, and difficulty in swallowing. Spread of the infection to spaces in the neck and down into the chest can lead to a number of complications, including infection of the tissue between the lungs or the lining covering the heart. It may even be fatal if the resultant inflammation is severe enough to push the tongue upward and cause strangulation.
Peritonsillar abscess is much more likely to be seen in young adults than in children.
The abscess must be drained surgically and the infection treated promptly with antibiotics. Since the condition tends to recur, it is usually advisable to remove the tonsils after the acute infection subsides. Juvenile angiofibroma is a benign tumor of the nasopharynx region that occurs primarily at puberty. Nosebleeds are the major symptom, although it may grow to obstruct the nasal cavity and inhibit nasal breathing. While the tumor has a natural tendency to diminish after puberty, it can grow rapidly and invasively and if untreated may infiltrate the bones at the base of the skull.