One sided tonsil grow possibly??

Hello,

Approximately a week ago, I noticed that I felt a sensation at the back of my throat that felt as if I was swallowing a hair. Several times I tried touching the area where I felt the sensation with my index finger, but the sensation did not go away.  

Just last night, I looked in a mirror and noticed that there is a small evenly shaped lump in the tonsil area.  It might be the right tonsil.  It doesn't look abnormal.  It is smaller than an almond, almond shaped, and convex. It is about the same color as the rest of my throat, maybe very slightly redder.  The troubling thing is the other side of my throat looks different.  The tonsil area is about the same cirucumfrence, but concave and with more grooves and sections.  The left side is more of a cavity, but again about the same circumfrenece.

Could I have infected one tonsil?  Does this sound like cancer (lymphoma or squameous cell)?  I've also read through a few studies that state that unilateral enlargement of a tonsil absent risk factors for tonsil cancer, grossly abnormal presentation, and an enlarge cervix (neck) area is ususually not cancer.  I just don't know what "grossly abnormal presentation" means.  And does the difference in shape (convex vs concave) draw suspicion even though the perimiter of the area is somewhat close in size.

Here is one study:
http://www.attract.wales.nhs.uk/question_answers.cfm?question_id=1837

I have none of the risk factors noted in the study.

Of course I will see my doctor today.  But I wanted to see if I could get an initial hunch from someone.  If you need more descriptive information, please let me know.

I know all if this would need to be evaluated by a pathologist, but I am curious and very concerned and this posting helps with some of my anxieity management. Thanks for your patients with my posting.  Oh - one last comment.  There is no pain just the funny hairlike sensation which is much less noticible now that a few days ago.

HJR

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Since you probably don't look at the back of your throat that often, you may have trouble identifying what's normal and what's not.  I am glad that you are seeing a doctor, if you haven't seen one already.  I would think that lymphoma would be a very remote possibility indeed.  The sensation is more than likely just irritation from hot food or something like that, though once you started to be anxious about it, no doubt the sensation intensified.

You'll be fine, I'm sure.

Check it out, and take care.

Dr. Rockoff

[HJR]

No need to comment on this post unless you wish at this point. (I'm the orignal poster.)  I went to an ENT who yanked the growth out in a moment.   He said it is 99.9% not Squaemeous a very slim chance of lymphoma.  That is very encouraging.  I will wait for the results.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Glad to hear it.

Dr. Rockoff

[HJR]

Hi,
I just received the results yesterday and there was no evidence of carcinoma.  There was significant inflammation according to the report, and one-sided (unilateral) inflammation draws suspicion.  The ENT told the pathologist that the inflammation was due to "the patient possibly traumatizing the area."  That was his nice way of saying that I was poking my throat making a mild problem worse...

Anyway, I wanted to say thank you for this forum.  The access to top-level expertise for a nominal donation is tremendous!
HJR

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Good news.  No more poking around in there, though....

Dr. Rockoff