Penetration of Erythromycin in Waldeyer's Ring—Tonsil Tissue

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Abstract
This study is based on the participation of 26 otherwise healthy patients with a diagnosis of chronic tonsillitis. Erythromycin ethylsuccinate (Erythrocine®. Abbott) 1 000 mg was given orally twice daily to 20 cases and tonsillectomy was performed after different intervals. Erythromycin was assessed in the homogenized tonsils, in plasma and in blood. Haemoglobin determinations in blood and tissue homogenate enabled calculating blood-free tissue levels. Remarkably, the tissue levels were in the order of twice the plasma levels. The remaining 6 patients received the erythromycin mixture via gastric tube, to prevent surface contamination of the tonsils. In these cases the tonsil tissue levels were the same as the plasma levels. Erythromycin thus penetrates tonsil tissue to attain the same levels as in plasma. A corollary of the adenoid and tonsil tissue penetration studies is that erythromycin may be relied upon to penetrate any lymphatic tissue to the same degree.