Table 2.

Structural and pathological causes of chronic throat symptoms

Structural disease Malignant lesions of the aerodigestive tract Benign lesions of the aerodigestive tract Tonsillar hypertrophy Pharyngeal diverticulum Reinkes oedema Vocal cord palsy Fixed larynx Laryngeal trauma Pharyngeal web Candidiasis Regional disease Thyroid nodules or goitre Neck masses (benign and malignant) Neck cysts (benign and malignant) Cervical lymphadenopathy

Oesophageal pouch/diverticulum Oesophageal web Mediastinal tumours Lymphoma Eagles’ syndrome Cricopharyngeal spasm Intrusive cervical osteophytes Neurological disease Stroke (including brainstem infarcts with bulbar involvement) Parkinson’s disease CNS tumour Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Multiple sclerosis Polymyositis Myotonic dystrophy Bulbar palsy

Laryngeal dystonia Guillain Barre syndrome Myasthenia gravis Spasmodic tremor Motor neuron disease Muscular dystrophy Cerebral palsy Respiratory disease Asthma (and variants) Allergic rhinitis Rhinosinusitis Restrictive lung disease Bronchiectasis Chronic bronchitis Eosinophilic bronchitis Bronchogenic cancer Tuberculosis Cystic fibrosis Primary ciliary dyskinesia

Systemic disease Sjogren syndrome Systemic lupus erythematosus Mixed connective tissue disease Rheumatoid arthritis Systemic sclerosis Wagner’s Hypothyroidism Amyloidosis Relapsing polychondritis Sarcoidosis Epidermolysis bullosa Pemphigoid Angioneurotic oedema Medications Tricyclic antidepressants Potassium supplements NSAIDs

Nitrates Calcium channel blockers Opioids ACE inhibitors Bisphosphonates Anticholinergics Iatrogenic Head and neck surgery Head and neck radiation Intubation trauma Non-invasive ventilation

ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; CNS, central nervous system.