Oropharyngeal Examination
February 15th, 2021
Oropharyngeal Inspection
How to Perform
- Ask the patient to open their mouth and make an 'ahh' sound, in order to contract the palate and uvula. Depress the tongue if required in order to visualise the posterior pharynx.
Look For
- Erythema
- Swelling of tonsils
- Exudate
- Ulcers - viral infection, neoplasm
- Petechiae on soft palate - pathognomonic for bacterial infection
Pharyngeal Erythema
Look For
- Redness of the posterior pharynx.
Causes of Pharyngeal Erythema
- Infection - common cold, influenza, bacterial pharyngitis, tonsillitis
- Irritation - postnasal drip, reflux, chemical ingestion
- Malignancy
Tonsillar Swelling
Look For
- Enlarged, inwardly displaced tonsils. Look for erythema and pus.
Causes of Tonsillar Swelling
- Tonsillitis
- Peritonsillar abscess (quinsy)
- Lymphoma
- Nasopharyngeal cancer
Interpretation
- Asymmetric swelling - may be associated with uvular deviationPeritonsilar abscess (quinsy), malignancy
- Symmetric swellingTonsillitis
Pharyngeal Exudate
Look For
- Pus or mucus on the posterior wall of the pharynx.
Causes of Pharyngeal Exudate
- Bacterial Pharyngitis
- Acute nasopharyngitis
- Influenza
- Candidiasis
- Diptheria
Interpretation
- Pus - bacterial pharyngitis, acute nasopharyngitis, influenza
- White patches - candidiasis
- Grey, membranous exudate - diphtheria
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