REVIEW ARTICLE
Otorhinolaryngology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2025-27-4-966-975
UNILATERAL SORE THROAT OF NON-INFLAMMATORY ORIGIN

N.V. BOIKO

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation

This review article analyzes current data regarding the diagnosis of non-inflammatory diseases that cause unilateral sore throat. A bibliographic search was conducted in the electronic databases eLibrary, PubMed, and ScienceDirect using keywords such as "unilateral sore throat", "dysphagia", "stylohyoid syndrome", "Eagle syndrome", "elongated styloid process syndrome", and "tonsillolith". The review primarily focuses on sources published in the last 10 years (2014-2024) but also considers individual articles published prior to this period that discuss eponymous syndromes, clinical presentations, and pathogenesis of these diseases, as well as rare yet clinically significant observations and data from cohort studies and large observation series. Inclusion criteria for this review consisted of studies that provided information on incidence rates, pathogenesis, clinical presentations, and differential diagnoses of non-inflammatory diseases causing unilateral sore throat. Papers were excluded if they focused solely on isolated observations with typical symptoms. Additionally, references cited in each identified article were reviewed to compile a more comprehensive and extensive collection of relevant literature. The literature review indicates that in patients with persistent unilateral sore throat, stylohyoid syndrome and tonsilloliths should be prioritized for consideration and ruled out first.

Keywords: Unilateral sore throat, dysphagia, stylohyoid syndrome, Eagle syndrome, elongated styloid process syndrome, tonsillolith.

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Authors' information:

Boiko Natalia Vladimirovna,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Professor at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Rostov State Medical University
Researcher ID: I-9086-2017
Scopus ID: 16681053200
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1316-5061
SPIN: 2031-2701
Author ID: 636198
E-mail: nvboiko@gmail.com

Information about support in the form of grants, equipment, medications

The author did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Boiko Natalia Vladimirovna
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Professor at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Rostov State Medical University

344006, Russian Federation, Rostov-on-Don, Nakhichevanskiy lane, 29

Tel.: +7 (903) 4334113

E-mail: nvboiko@gmail.com


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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