Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis, an inflammation of the tonsils, may be acute or chronic, chronic tonsillitis frequently following episodes of catarrhal tonsillitis or of other infectious diseases such as scarlet fever, measles, and diphtheria. Acute tonsillitis is self-limited and usually lasts five days; chronic tonsillitis may require the surgical removal of the tonsils, called tonsillectomy.