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Features suggesting an infective cause for a sore throat

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Features suggesting an infective cause for a sore throat include:

  • fever - makes infection the likely cause, although lack of fever does not exclude infection
  • pathology of the oropharynx:
    • quinsy is a bacterial complication
    • peritonsillar cellulitis particularly unilateral may have a bacterial aetiology - research evidence would be valuable
    • palatal petechae occur in glandular fever
    • Koplik's spots of measles
    • blisters of herpes simplex, foot and mouth
  • cervical glands:
    • large cervical glands make a diagnosis of glandular fever more likely
    • occipital glands point to rubella
  • skin rashes may point to viral or bacterial aetiology

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