Sore throat is a common medical complaint seen by the emergency practitioner, internist, pediatrician, and otolaryngologist. The differential for sore throat is vast. However, with a directed history this can often be narrowed down to 2 to 3 possible diagnoses. By paying particular attention to the associated symptoms and duration of symptoms, common self-limited etiologies like viral pharyngitis and nonstreptococcal tonsillitis can be distinguished from those that require more investigation, such as supraglottitis and tonsillar cancer. A sore throat is most commonly caused by an infectious, inflammatory, or neoplastic etiologic factor.
The Patient with Sore Throat