ABSTRACT
Pharyngitis and adenotonsillitis are two of the most common diagnoses in primary care medicine, accounting for 15% of all outpatient medical appointments (1). This discussion will consider pharyngitis to include all inflammatory conditions of the pharynx, including the tonsils and adenoids. Adenotonsillitis is the term for inflammation of these pharyngeal subunits and is often used interchangeably with pharyngitis. Although pharyngitis most commonly results from infection, many systemic diseases may manifest themselves with similar signs and symptoms (Table 1). Discriminating between infectious and other causes of pharyngeal inflammation may be difficult and may delay appropriate treatment options.
DEFINITION
