Sore Throat

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

A sore throat, also known as odynophagia, is a common symptom that can be caused by various conditions affecting the pharynx, tonsils, and other structures of the upper respiratory tract.

This pain can range from mild irritation to severe discomfort that makes swallowing or speaking difficult. Identifying the underlying cause of the sore throat is crucial to providing appropriate treatment and relieving the patient’s symptoms.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Viral pharyngitis	Sore throat, low-grade fever, nasal congestion, cough, hoarseness, muscle aches	History of recent viral infection, physical examination	Rapid antigen tests for viruses, throat swab culture
Acute follicular tonsillitis	Severe sore throat, high fever, inflamed tonsils with white spots (purulent follicles), cervical lymphadenopathy	Medical history, physical examination	Throat swab culture, rapid streptococcal test
Infectious mononucleosis	Sore throat, fever, fatigue, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, tonsillar exudate	History of close contact with infected individuals, physical examination	Heterophile antibody test (Monospot), serology for EBV
Oral candidiasis	Sore throat, white patches on oral mucosa, dysphagia, burning sensation	History of antibiotic use, immunosuppression, physical examination	Oral swab culture, microscopic examination of lesion scrapings
Oesophageal candidiasis	Sore throat, dysphagia, odynophagia, retrosternal pain, nausea	History of immunosuppression, physical examination	Endoscopy with biopsy, oesophageal swab culture
Agranulocytosis	Sore throat, fever, oral ulcers, recurrent infections, weakness	History of myelotoxic drug use, physical examination	Complete blood count, bone marrow aspiration
Oropharyngeal ulcer	Sore throat, painful ulcers on oropharyngeal mucosa, dysphagia, halitosis	Medical history, physical examination	Ulcer biopsy, laboratory tests based on suspected cause
Non-ulcerative causes	Sore throat, symptoms vary according to underlying cause	Medical history, physical examination	Specific tests based on clinical suspicion