ABSTRACT
The upper respiratory tract is a critical area. It is essential that the clinician recognizes the signs and symptoms of disease presenting in this location as it may herald more serious systemic illness and infection. Indeed this area may serve as the portal of entry for certain infections. Furthermore, the anatomy of this area must be understood. Infections of the upper respiratory tract can rapidly spread to the mediastinum and other critical areas such as the carotid sheath and retropharyngeal space, causing life-threatening complications. This chapter will focus mainly on upper respiratory tract infections where a delay in diagnosis might affect prognosis. These infections include Lemierre syndrome, Ludwig angina, Vincent angina, noma, diphtheria, peritonsillar abscesses, croup, epiglottitis, rabies, and sinusitis with an emphasis on the agents of mucormycosis (Table 10A.1).
