Core Curriculum Syllabus: Inflammatory Disorders of the Pharynx

Inflammatory disorders of the pharynx most commonly present as throat or neck pain. Dysphagia, odynophagia, and airway obstruction are other frequent complaints. The pharynx is a dynamic conduit for inspired air and ingested matter, responsible for diverting each into the trachea or esophagus, respectively. This process may be impaired by anything which obstructs or restricts the mobility of the pharynx. The following outline is directed toward a systematic approach to the evaluation of the patient with sore throat, odynophagia or dysphagia.