Chapter 24: Inflammatory and Infectious Disorders of the Nose, Sinuses, Mouth, and Throat

First-line treatment emphasizes intranasal corticosteroids for allergic rhinitis alongside allergen avoidance, while viral rhinitis requires only symptomatic management. Rhinosinusitis classification separates acute viral cases, which comprise over 95 percent of presentations and typically resolve without intervention, from acute bacterial rhinosinusitis suspected when symptoms persist beyond ten days or demonstrate double worsening patterns. Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis management relies on first-line amoxicillin or amoxicillin-clavulanate therapy. The chapter addresses neck masses with particular emphasis on the clinical principle that persistent masses in adults warrant presumption of malignancy until definitively excluded through imaging and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Oral conditions including stomatitis, glossitis, and candidiasis are reviewed with attention to etiologic factors such as herpes simplex virus infection and nutritional deficiencies, with management tailored to underlying causes. Premalignant oral lesions such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia demand biopsy within two to three weeks of detection to exclude malignant transformation. The chapter concludes with pharyngitis and tonsillitis, emphasizing identification of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus through rapid testing and throat culture to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy and prevent systemic sequelae including acute rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Throughout, the content integrates clinical decision-making frameworks, diagnostic algorithms, and pharmacologic interventions relevant to primary care and specialty practice.