ear, nose, and throat disorders
Tonsillopharyngitis
Introduction
Tonsillopharyngitis is acute infection of the pharynx, palatine tonsils, or both. Symptoms may include sore throat, odynophagia, cervical lymphadenopathy, and fever. Diagnosis is clinical, supplemented by culture or rapid antigen test. Treatment depends on symptoms and, in the case of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, involves antibiotics. The tonsils participate in systemic immune surveillance. In addition, local tonsillar defenses include a lining of antigen-processing squamous epithelium that involves B- and T-cell responses. Tonsillopharyngitis of all varieties constitutes about 15% of all office visits to primary care physicians. (See also Streptococcal Infections .) 