Abstract: Objective To investigate the role and clinical significance of the expressions of microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) and microRNA-98 (miRNA-98) in development and progression of malignant tonsilar tumors. Methods The expressions of miRNA-21 and miRNA-98 were detected by qRT-PCR in the 53 specimens of tonsilar neoplasms and 50 specimens of inflammatory tonsilar tissues and 20 specimens of normal muscosa. The expressions of miRNA-21 and miRNA-98 in the tonsilar neoplasms were analyzed with different clinicopathological parameters. Results The expression of miRNA-21 in the malignant tonsilar tumors was significantly higher than that in the inflammatory tonsilar tissues and normal muscosa (P < 0.05). There were positive correlations between miRNA-21 expression and both TNM staging and lymph node metastasis; but not pathological grade. The expression of miRNA-98 in the malignant tonsilar neoplasms was significantly lower than that in the inflammatory tonsilar tissues and normal muscosa (P < 0.05). Conclusions The expressions of miRNA-21 and miRNA-98 may be correlated with the development and progression of malignant tonsilar neoplasms.