At the Eastern Section meeting of the Triological Society in New York, Yosef P. Krespi and coworkers, Brooklyn, NY, presented the results of treating chronic inflammation or hyperplasia of the lingual tonsil with the laser. Most of the patients presented with sore throat in association with lingual tonsil hyperplasia. This sore throat resolved with antibiotic therapy, but recurred once the antibiotic therapy was stopped. They first performed a study on dogs and documented the healing process histologically. They found that the laser did indeed destroy the lymphatic tissue. They have treated over 80 patients in four different centers in two countries using the carbon dioxide laser applied through a laryngoscope to remove the lingual tonsil. The patients healed satisfactorily, and almost all have remained free of sore throats. They are now in the process of developing an endoscope especially for this procedure.