EPIPHARYNGITIS and its relationship to general diseases

Abstract

The eipharyngeal cavity, which is situated behind the nasal cavity, is often affected by inflammation which is not always noticed even by the patient himself. This inflammation is also difficult to discover by routine observation methods such as posterior rhtnoscopy or epipharyngeal endoscopy. The only method of ascertaining this inflammation is the direct method; touching the epipharynx wall, especially the backside of the soft palate, directly with a cotton applicator. If there exists inflammation in the epipharynx, the patient feels severe pain and sometimes even bleeding is seen as a result of slight rubbing of the wall. The smear which is made from this inserted cotton applicator shows the approximate degree of inflammation. The exact diagnosis of epipharyngitis can be made only by this direct procedure. Also by this procedure, many cases of epipharyngitis which usually show no local symptoms are found. This latent epipharyngitis is, however, often certified as an important origin of diseases which seem to have no relation to the inflammation. To certify the direct relationship between epipharyngitis and the diseases, which will be discussed here it is most important to uncover the latent epipharyngitis accompanying the disease and to treat this inflammation without influencing the other disease; it is also valuvable to compare the healing of the disease with the improvement of epipnaryngitis; it is also valuvable to compare the healing of the disease with the improvement of epipharyngitis The cure of epipharyngitis may be indicated by the cessation of pain and bleeding on touch, and improvement of the smear findings-exfoliative epithelium and diminishmant of free cells and bacteria. © 1966, The Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan, Inc. All rights reserved.