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What Causes Enlarged Tonsils In A Child?
Question: My 2 year old has had enlarged tonsils for a couple weeks. They're streaked with red and white. He keeps testing negative for strep and mono. He has no fever. The only other symptom he has is blood in his stool, all the way through, not just the surface. He doesn't take meds and does not eat any red food.
Brief Answer:
Stool tests to verify the presence of blood are needed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.
It is good that tests for strep and mono come out negative. There are also other factors that are important like fever, other symptoms, if the child is active or not and if the child is eating as usual or not.
If the child does not have fever, is active and eating as usual and is doing well in general it is very unlikely that he is having any serious cause of the redness in the throat. White things on the tonsils might be also due to the large crypts on the tonsils and food getting there. Has a doctor confirmed that the child has red throat and pus on the tonsils?
If redness and white staff are in the mouth mucosa also other than on the throat than a candida infection might be considered also.
It is important to verify that the child has blood in the stools. The color of the stools is not a certain indicator. Stool microscopy and stool occult blood test would be the tests to conduct to verify the presence of blood in the stools.
If it is verified that there is blood present in the stools than there is a wide range of tests to be done to find the cause of it.
So to conclude I would say:
1. the red throat and white things on the tonsils might not be a sign of a serious infection if the child is active, eating as usual and no fever.
2. it is needed to verify the presence of blood in the stools- fecal occult blood test and stool microscopy is the first tests to verify it
3. If blood is confirmed to be in stools than the child needs to be hospitalized and several tests to be done to find the cause of it.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to write back if any questions or concerns related to this.
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
Stool tests to verify the presence of blood are needed
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for asking at healthcaremagic.
It is good that tests for strep and mono come out negative. There are also other factors that are important like fever, other symptoms, if the child is active or not and if the child is eating as usual or not.
If the child does not have fever, is active and eating as usual and is doing well in general it is very unlikely that he is having any serious cause of the redness in the throat. White things on the tonsils might be also due to the large crypts on the tonsils and food getting there. Has a doctor confirmed that the child has red throat and pus on the tonsils?
If redness and white staff are in the mouth mucosa also other than on the throat than a candida infection might be considered also.
It is important to verify that the child has blood in the stools. The color of the stools is not a certain indicator. Stool microscopy and stool occult blood test would be the tests to conduct to verify the presence of blood in the stools.
If it is verified that there is blood present in the stools than there is a wide range of tests to be done to find the cause of it.
So to conclude I would say:
1. the red throat and white things on the tonsils might not be a sign of a serious infection if the child is active, eating as usual and no fever.
2. it is needed to verify the presence of blood in the stools- fecal occult blood test and stool microscopy is the first tests to verify it
3. If blood is confirmed to be in stools than the child needs to be hospitalized and several tests to be done to find the cause of it.
I hope this is helpful and answers to your question but please feel free to write back if any questions or concerns related to this.
Kind regards
Antoneta Zotaj, MD
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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