Abstract
A total of 100 patients with chronic tonsillitis were selected for this study. Specimens collected immediately before surgery and the operated specimen of tonsils were subjected to appropriate microbiological techniques. The commonest isolate on the surface was Streptococcus pneumoniae and in the core group a streptococcus. The largest group was the one in which surface and core pathogens were the same. At the same time it is interesting to note that surface culture was misleading as to the presence or absence of core pathogens in 32% of the study group. The core only was pathogenic in 12% and the group which isolated a different pathogen on the surface and core was 20%. It is evident that in a significant group of patients surface cultures were not useful in predicting core pathogens.