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Smoker. Took Antibiotic For Bronchitis. What Treatment Should Be Done For Throat Ulcer?

Posted on Thu, 7 Feb 2013

Question: I have a picture of my tonsil. Can you tell me if it looks normal to you? About three months ago I went to the doctor and was given an antibiotic for bronchitis. The doctor noticed what he called a throat ulcer. It is still there, however, and need to know if I should be alarmed. I just quit using chew and smoking a couple of weeks ago. I work in a remote area where it is difficult to find medical aid, and before driving days to the nearest throat doctor, I need to know.

Answered by Dr. Geoffrey Ward (4 hours later)

Hello and thank you for your question.
Do you have the photo that you can post on here or can you email it to me?
Any time you have a chronic ulceration without a source of irritation that is obvious, it raises alarm for concern. Ulcerations that are chronic and non healing can indicate more devious pathologies such as cancer. Your best bet would be to go to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor or get a referral to an Oral Surgeon to have a biopsy performed to rule out cancer immediately. It could be a long term viral, fungal or bacterial infection as well. However, I would not wait on getting it biopsied since it has been present for 3 months so far.

If you have any further questions, concerns or photos please feel free to respond. I'll gladly assist you.

Regards,

Dr. Ward

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar