Pharyngeal Diphtheria; A Case Report

Abstract

Diphtheria is one of the infectious diseases which physicians are obligated to report. For several decades, the number of patients reported to have diphtheria in Japan has been less than 10 per year. Recently we treated a case of pharyngeal diphtheria. A 24 year old male consulted our hospital complaining of pharyngeal pain. His palatine tonsils were covered with a thick grayishwhite menbrane, which bled easily when this white membrane was removed. Metachromatic granules stained by the Neisser method were recognized in the swab of his palatine tonsil. These findings suggested a diagnosis of pharyngeal diphtheria.
The patient was treated immediately with antitoxin and piperacillin sodium. He recovered completely 30 days after admisson without any sequelae and the white pseudomembrane on his palatine tonsils was extinguished. Most importantly, when a patient is suspected of suffering from diphtheria, the therapy should be carried out immediately.