[Tonsillo-pharyngeal form of tularemia]

Clinical, laboratory and serologic features of tonsillopharyngeal form of tularemia in 14 patients were analyzed in the study. The disease was ignored under the diagnosis of typical tonsillopharyngitis followed by cervical lymphadenopathy. Routine laboratory analyses results were non-specific and didn't reveal the disease etiology, while microagglutination test (MAT) of F. tularensis in the second week of disease was positive in 86% of patients. Skin tularin test was positive in all the tested patients during the first week of the disease. The best results in the treatment were achieved by administration of streptomycin and doxycycline. Well timed therapy prevented the lymph nodes colliquation, disease recurrence and infection generalization. The authors point out the significance of this clinical form of tularemia in the differential diagnosis of tonsillopharyngitis and cervical lymphodenopathy.