A 23-year-old man presents with a five-day history of worsening sore throat, and swallowing has become so painful that he is spitting his saliva into a cup. His voice sounds muffled, as though his mouth were full, and he can open his mouth only about two centimetres. His temperature is 38.6°C and he is not stridulous. Through the limited mouth opening, the left tonsillar region is swollen and displaced towards the midline, the soft palate above it bulges forward, and the uvula is pushed to the right. Which one of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
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