This report summarizes the histologic changes observed in biopsy material from the pharynges of 108 patients with systemic manifestations of disease usually attributed to some form of focal infection. The primary object was to determine the presence or absence of histologically specific lesions peculiar to each type of disease included in this study. In each instance the tonsils and adenoids had been removed prior to the onset of the presenting symptoms. There was obvious abnormality of the pharynx in every case, with either absence of tonsils or a minimal amount of tonsillar fragments.
For purposes of comparison similar biopsy specimens were obtained from the pharynges of 10 normal adults (ages ranging from 21 to 64 years) and 10 normal children (ages ranging from 2 to 11 years). Five adults and 5 children in this group had previously undergone operations for the removal of tonsils and adenoids.
Although all portions of