CORYNEBACTERIUM DIPHTHERIAE

Course overview

PHARYNGITIS IS DEFINED AS THE INFLAMMATION OF PHARYNGEAL TISSUE. BASED ON ETIOLOGY, IT CAN BE DIVIDED INTO INFECTIOUS AND NON-INFECTIOUS SOURCES. VIRAL ETIOLOGY IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF PHARYNGITIS DUE TO CONTAGIOUS ORIGIN. DIPHTHERIA IS ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL REASONS FOR PHARYNGITIS IN NON IMMUNIZED AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS, WHICH CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IF REMAINED UNTREATED. ALTHOUGH TODAY, IT IS MOSTLY LIMITED TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, IT CAN STILL OCCUR SPORADICALLY IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES AS WELL. FURTHERMORE, DUE TO EVER-EXPANDING TOURISM AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, ONE SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANTE ON APPROACHING THE PATIENT WITH PHARYNGITIS.