Streptococcal Pharyngitis - Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

The typical symptoms of streptococcal pharyngitis are a sore throat, fever of greater than 38 °C (100 °F), tonsillar exudates (pus on the tonsils), and large cervical lymph nodes.

Other symptoms include: headache, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain,, muscle pain,, or a scarlatiniform rash or palatal petechiae, the latter being an uncommon but highly specific finding. The incubation period and thus the start of symptoms for strep throat is between one to three days post contact. If there is no fever, red eyes, hoarseness, a runny nose, or ulcers in the mount it is unlikely to be strep throat.

  • Mouth wide open showing the throat
    A throat infection which on culture tested positive for group A streptococcus. Note the large tonsils with white exudate.

  • Mouth wide open showing the throat
    Note the petechiae, or small red spots, on the soft palate. This is an uncommon but highly specific finding in streptococcal pharyngitis.

  • A set of large tonsils in the back of the throat covered in white exudate.
    A culture positive case of streptococcal pharyngitis with typical tonsillar exudate in an 8 year old.

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