Anthrax sores: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

In 1939, the Italian physician R. Vakareza (R.Vacareza) first published the results of monitoring a patient with an isolated anthrax infection of the pharynx. In the same year, similar publications appeared in Romania (I.Valtcanu, N.Franke, N.Costinescu). VI Voyachek (1953) wrote in his Essential Otorhinolaryngology: "Anthrax is observed on tonsils and epiglottis. Histologically, this is fibrinous diphtheritic angina. There is no increase in temperature, which differs from other types of acute angina with fibrinous raids. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a bacteriological study (in cells, an anthrax wand is found). Sources of infection - work with the skins of infected animals. "

The cause of anthrax is anthrax. The causative agent of the infection is you. Anthracis - a large Gram-positive rod. In the living organism, the causative agent exists in the vegetative form, and in the environment it forms extremely stable spores. The entrance gate of the pathogen is usually damaged skin, less often the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. Hence - three clinical forms of the disease - cutaneous, intestinal and pulmonary. There is also a fourth primary-septic form, when generalization of the process occurs without prior local changes.

Pathogenesis of the Siberian pharyngeal ulcer. Without going into the details of pathogenesis, pathological anatomy and other aspects of this disease, which belongs to the group of especially dangerous infections, information about which can be found in the specialized literature, we note that the entrance gates for primary anthraxitic lesions of the pharynx are palatine tonsils and pharyngeal mucosa. At the site of infection, pronounced edema of the mucous membrane and submucosa, a significant increase in palatine tonsils, which are covered with fibrinous exudate of gray color diphtheriae. The puffy and hyperemic mucosa of the posterior pharyngeal wall is covered with bubbles of different sizes reaching the size of peas. Spreading into the laryngopharynx, edema causes hoarseness of the voice and difficulty breathing. On the inflammatory process in the pharynx react regional lymph nodes, reaching the size of a walnut. They do not weld together, dense, painless, tightly fixed to the underlying tissues. Vascular damage manifests itself in hemorrhages both in the mucous membrane and in the deeper tissues of the pharynx. In the area of hemorrhages, the necrotic process and the disintegration of the tissue develop.

Immunity after the disease is persistent. Immunity of people to anthrax is provided by active immunization with anthrax vaccine STM.

The diagnosis is made on the basis of the professional belonging of the person who fell ill to cattle breeding, furrier business, as well as contact with an anthrax patient, stay in an endemic focus, etc. The presence of pronounced edema of the neck and chest, echymic spots on the pharyngeal mucosa, fibrinoid raids on enlarged tonsils poor subjective and general clinical objective picture, different from vulgar angina, increase the likelihood of primary anthrax sorea. The final diagnosis is established on the basis of a positive intradermal allergic test with a drug obtained from anthrax bacteria (anthraxin). Serologic methods use the reactions of immunofluorescence, thermo-precipitation in Ascoli. Bacterioscopy of the infected material gives approximate results.

Treatment of anthrax of the pharynx: anti-sarcoidosis y-globulin (once but without a problem), antibiotics, prednisolone, blood-substituting fluids, detoxification preparations. Treatment is carried out in a specialized infectious disease department.

Prognosis with cutaneous form is usually favorable. In other forms, and especially in septic forms, it is doubtful.

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