No abstract available.
Diagnosis* ; Pharyngitis*

This 1-year prospective open trial was conducted on 777 children aged from 3 to 16 years old, who visited for acute sore throat and had at least one sign of pharyngitis. Data of demographic information, history of illness and use of antibiotics within recent days was documented. Clinical findings, included temperature and 2 pharyngeal swabbing samples (for microbial isolation and for detecting group A Streptococcal -specified antigen by rapid test), was computerized and analysed. Results: Group A Streptococcus was detected in 30.8% of children with acute pharyngitis. There wasn't any factor, including sex, age, and body temperature on admission or illness duration, related to the infection rate. It was found that, however, the infection rate was highest during winter and spring, when it is wet and cold. The mean of infection rate during these seasons was 36.6% and with the peak was 44.2% in March 1998. The rapid test produced the sensitivity of 88.7% and the specificity of 95.7% in this trial.
Streptococcus pyogenes ; Pharyngitis ; infection ; child ; Diagnosis

Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; diagnosis ; Pharyngitis ; complications

PURPOSE: A scoring system could be clinically useful in determining cases in which a throat culture may be omitted or in cases whether antibiotics may be initiated or not. We propose to make a clinical guideline of antibiotics administration in patients with pharyngitis. METHODS: From Apr. 1996. to Mar. 1997, throat cultures were taken from 321 cases (72 cases from Kyung-Hee Medical Center, 249 cases from 3 local pediatric clinics). On the first day of visit, 9 clinical items on a score-card were checked and a tentative diagnosis for streptococcal or non-streptococcal infection was made. These clinical scores were compared with the results of the throat swab cultures. RESULTS: Of 321 cases with pharyngitis, 55 cases (17%) proved to have group A streptococci by throat culture. The positive culture rate of group A streptococci was 18.5% from 3 local pediatric clinics, and 12.5% from Kyung-Hee Medical Center. The positive culture rate of group A streptococci were 40% in above 31 points of score, 31.5% in 29 to 30 points, 20.5% in 27 to 28 points. The sensitivity and specificity of the scoring system using a score at least 28 above points were 71% and 67%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The clinical diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis indicates that patients age 5 to 10 years, findings of abnormal pharynx, high fever and no past history of antibiotics use. Further modification of the scoring system for diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis should be made to prevent antibiotics abuse and correct diagnosis of pharyngitis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diagnosis* ; Fever ; Humans ; Pharyngitis* ; Pharynx ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Adult onset Still's disease is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by spiking fevers, arthritis/ arthralgias, typical salmon-colored bumpy rash, pharyngalgia, myalgia and possible involvement of visceral organs. The diagnosis is exclusively based on clinical symptoms, according to the criteria, after the exclusion of well-known infectious, neoplastic, or other autoimmune/autoinflammatory disorders. This report includes one case of adult onset Still's disease with the initial symptom of pharyngalgia.
Adult ; Humans ; Pharyngitis ; Rare Diseases ; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset ; diagnosis

Adult ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoses ; diagnosis ; Pharyngitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology

The patient was treated as pharyngeal foreign body sensation for six months. Laryngeal endoscopy: one about 1 cm x 2 cm x 2 cm, hard, smooth bulge in hypopharyngeal wall at the plane of epiglottis valley. The cervical MRI showed that the C3-C4 disc herniation and degeneration of the C3-C4 vertebrae. Cervical CT showed the C3-C4 disc osteophyte formation and forward bulge. After orthopedic consultation, the patient was diagnosed as esophageal cervical spondylosis. C3-C4 diskectomy and vertebral interbody bone grafted with plate fixation were undertaken. At postoperational day 2, the pharyngeal foreign body sensation disappeared.
Adult ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Foreign Bodies ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Pharyngitis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Spondylosis ; complications ; diagnosis

Although the concept of united airway disease has been widely accepted, most scholars emphasize only the effect of rhino-sinusitis while ignoring the pharyngeal factors to the lower airway, especially to the allergic pharyngitis (AP), which still lacks enough awareness. First of all, absence of unified diagnostic standard leads to the lack of epidemiological data, which, results in doctors' personal experience but no guideline in treatments. In addition, it is still not clear that the role of AP in the allergic airway diseases and its relationship with asthma. However, the number of patients with AP has been increasing obviously in daily clinic practice. Combined with the previous observation, this paper does a systematic review about the clinical problems of AP, expecting to give a hand to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AP.
Asthma ; Humans ; Pharyngitis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Sinusitis

Tsutsugamushi disease is an acute infectious rickettsial disease caused by the intracellular parasite Orientia tsutsugamushi. Due to its variety of clinical signs, this disease is often misdiagnosed. This article examines a total of 4 patients who visited our clinics with fever and sore throat. 3 of them had body temperature of 39.5 Celsius degrees when admitted. The characteristic black eschar occurred on 4 of them. Lymphadenopathy occurred on 2 of them. Cough occurred on 1 of them. Lab tests showed that 3 of them had Leukocytosis, 1 of them had increased bronchovascular markings, and 3 of them had Weil-Felix test positive. After admission, all patients, who were confirmed of diagnosis of tsutsugamushi disease instead of tonsillitis, received the comprehensive treatment and cured afterwards.
Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; Pharyngitis ; etiology ; Scrub Typhus ; complications ; diagnosis ; Tonsillitis ; diagnosis

A 38-year-old man, with recurrent oral ulcers for 10 years, was admitted because of recent aggravation of odynophagia and sore throat. About 4 years earlier, he had been performed abdominal surgery for intestinal perforation. Gastrofiberscopic examination showed small round ulcers at hypiopharynx and 6cm sized longitudinal linear ulcer at mid esophagus. Biopsy specimens at mid-esophagus showed chronic inflammation. Besides oral ulcer, he had perianal ulcers and skin rashes. He was managed with steroid, colchicine and sulfasalazine under the diagnosis of esophageal involvement in Behcet's disease. After 3 months from discharge, esophagogram and gastrofiberscopic examination showed some improved appearance, but symptoms recurred for steroid tapering. He has been followed in much improved status for 8 months after discharge.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Colchicine ; Diagnosis ; Esophagus ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Intestinal Perforation ; Oral Ulcer ; Pharyngitis ; Sulfasalazine ; Ulcer*