Vincent's angina
Vincent's angina, is pharyngitis and tonsillitis, caused by infection with two types of bacteria called fusiform and spirochaetes. This symbiosis of bacteria is sometimes termed a "fusospirochaetal" infection.
Naming and confusion with Vincent's gingivitis
It is named after Jean Hyacinthe Vincent, a French physician who was working at the Paris Pasteur Institute. Vincent described a fusospirochetal infection of the pharynx and palatine tonsils, causing "ulcero-membranous pharyngitis and tonsillitis", which later became known as Vincent's angina. Later in 1904, Vincent described the same pathogenic organisms in "ulceronecrotic gingivitis".As a result, Vincent's angina is widely confused with necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, however the former is tonsillitis and pharyngitis, and the latter involves the gums, and usually the two conditions occur in isolation from each other. The term "angina" is derived from a Latin word which means "to choke" or " to throttle." However, this condition should not be confused with the modern usage of the term angina, which refers to chest pain caused by insufficient blood supply to the muscles of the heart. Many publications using the term "Vincent's angina" date from the twentieth century, and the term is not so common in modern times.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Vincent's angina were reported as:- Normal or increased temperature
- Headaches
- Chilly sensations,
- Generalized malaise,
- Lymphadenopathy,
- Tenderness and severe pain when talking or swallowing,
- Halitosis
The tonsils show single or multiple greyish-white ulcers, usually on only one of the palatine tonsils. The ulcers appear surrounded by reddened area and they bleed when touched or when the pseudo membrane is removed. Ulceration may extend onto the soft palate.