The authors treated during the period between May and December 1998 52 patients with peritonsillar abscesses. Forty of them were in the first place treated by aspiration puncture (AP) and oral antibiotics. Cure by AP only (without incision or tonsillectomy) was achieved in 33 patients (82.5 %). One AP only was made in 20 patients, in nine two punctures were made and in three patients three punctures. Because the condition did not improve after AP, five times an incision was made and three times TE. The authors recorded so far two relapses of PTA (5 %), after an interval of four weeks following the first PTA. The patients tolerated AP much better than incisions of PTA. The initial experience with AP indicates that it can be considered in the majority of PTA as the method of choice for treatment of PTA.

        Key words: peritonsillar abscess, aspiration puncture, effectiveness, tolerance.