[The clinical problems of bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract]

ORL inflammations present particular pathogenetic and clinical characteristics due to the close anatomic and physiological connection among them and to their particular anatomic characteristics. The ear communicates with the rhinopharynx through the Eustachian tube, and this relationship explains how bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract can cause otitis and how tubal dysfunctions are often responsible for chronic ORL infections, also favoured by the microcavity structure of the middle ear and the mastoid bone. Also the macro- and microcavity anatomic structure of the paranasal sinuses favours chronic infectious diseases, and their adjacency with the endocranial and facial structures justifies the secondary complications of these infections. The palatine tonsil and other structures of the Waldeyer's lymphatic ring play an important immune role in the first respiratory and digestive tract, and infections occurring in these structures (for example, streptococcal infection) can cause pathologies such as rheumatic disease. Other ORL infections are connected to immunodeficiency or atopy.