[Epidemiologic aspects of pharyngitis, Bamako].

We are reporting here a 12 month-prospective study on epidemiologic aspects of sore throat in the ENT department of the national hospital Gabriel Touré. We recorded 260 cases of sore throat with 23 loco-regional complications representing 1.8% of all pathologies in our department; the sex ratio was 2.6 in favour of women, and the age group most affected was 20-24 years (18.07%). Sore throat was most frequently diagnosed at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season respectively May and October. In 63 of the cases, local and regional complications were seen, and represented by peri-tonsils phlegm (54%), chronic tonsillitis (41.3%), retropharyngeal abscess (3.2%), and cervical adeno-phlegm (1.6%). Therapy with antibiotics should be of rule, and well justified surgical decisions should be made after informed consent of the patient. Sore throat with its complications should really benefit of better attention and better management.