Oropharyngeal Anthrax

Aims: To report a rare case of oropharyngeal anthrax. Materials and Methods: A case report of oropharyngeal anthrax is presented together with the related world literature. Results: A 70-year-old female patient with respiratory distress and extensive swelling of neck, soft palate and uvula is presented. There was ecchymosis on the neck circumferentially. Bacillus anthracis grew in the blood culture. The patient died of toxemia and sepsis. Conclusions: Oropharyngeal anthrax is the least common form of anthrax. This acute illness should be added to the differential diagnosis of inflammatory lesion of the oropharynx with extensive neck swelling. Successful diagnosis of anthrax depends on a high level of suspicion.