FOCAL AND RECURRENT PHARYNGITIS: A REVIEW

Key words: Recurrent pharyngitis, Adenovirus, FPAPA (Periodic Fever, Aphtous stomatitis, Pharyngitis and Adenitis)

20 cases of recurrent pharyngitis, among whom 9 have undergone tonsillectomy, are compared with 9 cases of tonsillar hypertrophy, all of whom had undergone surgery. Adenovirus etiology was confirmed in 8 out of 14 cases belonging to the first group in whom appropriate laboratory examinations could be performed, and in 1 out of 9 cases of the second group. Based on these findings and on a literature review an auto-inflammatory hypothesis of recurrent pharyngitis is proposed. Adenovirus, and EBV in older children could be the sensitising agent. The Authors suggest that recurrent pharyngitis, when criteria of cyclicity, abnormality of inflammatory markers and intercritical normality are satisfied, may not be differentiated from FPAPA syndrome.