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.