[Pharyngeal diphtheria diagnosed too late, fatal course of the disease].

In the course of an endemic lasting 13 months we saw three cases of toxic pharyngeal diphtheria. In spite of immediate treatment with serum and penicillin two patients died, including a 14 year-old girl who had been treated inadequately for two weeks. Serum along with antibiotics must be given as soon as diphtheria is suspected. Without the immediate administration of serum the mortality of diphtheria remains very high.