EPIPHARYNGITIS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL DISEASES

Abstract

The eipharyngeal cavity, which is situatedbehind the nasal cavity, is often affected by infla-mmation which is not always noticed even by thepatient himself. This inflammation is also diffi-cult to discover by routine observation methodssuch as posterior rhtnoscopy or epipharyngealendoscopy. The only method of ascertainingthis inflammation is the direct method ; touchingthe epipharynx wall, especially the backside ofthe soft palate, directly with a cotton applicator.If there exists inflammation in the epipharynx, the patient feels severe pain and sometimes evenbleeding is seen as a result of slight rubbing ofthe wall. The smear which is made from thisinserted cotton applicator shows the approximatedegree of inflammation.
The exact diagnosis of epipharyngitis can bemade only by this direct procedure. Also by thisprocedure, many cases of epipharyngitis whichusually show no local symptoms are found.