Defeat of the pharynx by the herpes zoster virus: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

The herpes zoster pharynx is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which affects the sensitive nerves (often intercostal and triple) and the skin in the region of the exit of their nerve endings. The disease is characterized by a sharp eruption along the course of individual sensitive nerves of pink spots with blurred boundaries of considerable magnitude (from 3 cm or more), against the background of which by the end of the first or the second day groups of closely packed bubbles of the size of millet grains or small lentils filled with clear liquid.

The pharyngeal lesions are caused by the activation of a latent form due to various reasons, as a result of which the virus passes through the nerve fibers of the second branch of the trigeminal nerve to its nerve endings and, through penetration into the submucosa, causes corresponding pathomorphological changes in it in the mucous membrane.

[1], [2], [3], [4],

Pathogenesis of herpes zoster

Energizing in the nervous ganglia in practically all healthy people, the herpes zoster virus "waits for its hour" to manifest itself as an acute infectious disease with a very painful oral-pharyngeal syndrome of herpes zoster. Factors contributing to the activation of the virus are general and local cooling, common colds, adenovirus infection, injuries in the distance and in the oral cavity, the presence of poorly installed dentures, common infections, syphilis, malaria, meningitis, etc. Promote activation of the dormant virus and drug intoxication (arsenic, bismuth, iodine, mercury, etc.). A number of researchers believe that the virus initially penetrates the skin and through it through the nerve trunks reaches the spinal nerve nodes and spinal cord and from there along the corresponding nerves spreads into certain zones, causing in them specific pathomorphological changes. Exposing exotoxin, the herpes zoster virus causes the emergence of a general toxic syndrome, the main point of application of which is the nervous system. Others believe that the constant place of vegetation of the virus is the pharynx, and only under the influence of a number of pathological circumstances does it enter the blood, from here into the nerve trunks and through them into the skin and mucous membranes of the mouth cavity,

Pathological anatomy

Morphologically the vesicle of herpes zoster is very similar to the similar elements of chicken pox and herpes simplex. However, deeper histological studies have shown that with herpes zoster, neuronal lesions of the nerve nodes that are characteristic of radiculomyelitis are found. Lesions of the mucous membrane with herpes zoster are almost identical to those that occur in other viral infections that develop in the oral cavity, that long herpes zoster herpes and herpetic sore throat were regarded as one disease.

Symptoms of herpes zoster

In contrast to herpetic sore throat, with herpes zoster herpes pains occur 1-2 days before rashes and immediately have an intense, extremely painful nature, especially in the elderly. Vesicles appear on one side corresponding to the affected nerve, and very rarely on both sides. They are distributed, as a rule, along the fibers of the palatine nerve in the soft palate, the upper third of the anterior palatal arch and the arch of the hard palate. The arising pains can irradiate into the nasopharynx, the eye of the eponymous half, the ear, the retroxaxilar region, provoking the syndrome of the pterygoal node on the side of the lesion. The disease lasts 5-15 days, leaving behind it on the mucous membranes of persistent whitish scars, into which the nerve endings of the "causative" nerves fall, which causes prolonged neuralgias of the corresponding branches of the trigeminal nerve.

Diagnosis of herpes zoster

Diagnosis of herpes zoster with a clearly localized picture of rashes and typical common clinical phenomena does not cause difficulties, especially if the bucopharyngeal form is accompanied by a characteristic skin lesion zone. Differentiate the disease from herpetic tonsillitis, pemphigus (see below) and oral manifestations of chicken pox.

[5], [6], [7], [8], [9],

Treatment of herpes zoster

Treatment of herpes zoster pharynx - as in herpetic sore throat. There are indications of positive results of the use of auricicin. With neuralgia, radiotherapy, analgesics, B vitamins are used.