Vol. 12, Issue 6 (2023)

Author(s):
Prashanth Kumar KS, Ashok Pawar, Girish MH, Ganganaik S, Suguna Rao, Jagadish Hiremath and Rashmi Santhoshkumar

Abstract:
The present work was carried out to study the gross morphology, histomorphology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of the lingual tonsil in pigs. Tissue samples were collected from eight apparently healthy adult pigs of age ranging from seven to nine months from the local slaughter house. The lingual tonsils of pig were not visible grossly even after the fixation with two percent acetic acid for four hours but in the histological sections, tonsil was seen within the connective tissue cores of the mechanical tonsillar papillae located caudal to the vallate papillae present at the root of the tongue in all the pigs. Histologically, lingual tonsils were lined by a stratified squamous keratinized surface epithelium which is differentiated into stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, stratum lucidum and stratum corneum. The proper tonsillar tissue of tonsils of oropharynx (lingual tonsil and tonsil of soft palate) and laryngopharynx (Paraepiglottic tonsil) were characterized by lymphoid tissue, dense irregular connective tissue, glandular, adipose and muscular tissues. In the superficial parts, dense irregular connective tissue extended into the core of the tonsillar papillae between the papillary pegs. Lymphoid tissue was distributed in the form numerous large and small lymphatic nodules of different dimensions along with CLU’s. Some of the nodules presented darker outer corona and inner germinal centre. SEM study of lingual tonsil of pig revealed the surface of all the tonsils was covered by folds arranged in longitudinal directions. TEM study of lingual tonsils revealed the stratified squamous keratinized epithelium with different layers of stratification. Cells of stratification were attached each other by desmosomes.