Histomorphology and Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Lingual Tonsil in Goats

According to Nickel et al., (1979), diffuse lymphocytic accumulations in the tongue of domestic animals were grouped under tonsillar tissue. The lingual tonsil was limited to the root of the tongue in sheeps (Cocquyt et al., 2005), horses (Kumar and Timoney, 2005b) and bovines (Cocquyt et al., 2008). This tonsil is involved in processing antigens because of its close association with diffuse lymphoid tissue and high endothelial venules, making it the first line of defense. A perusal of literature revealed only few studies on the lingual tonsils in goats and hence the present work was undertaken. Materials and Methods