Clinical aspects of diphtheria in infants

: The symptomatology of different forms of diphtheria was analyzed in 49 patients under 3 year of age. It has been established that in infants, diphtheria is marked by the diversity of localizations and a fairly high portion of associated toxic diphtheria of the stomatopharynx and disseminated croup. These gravest forms are fairly difficult to recognize them clinically. Their early diagnosis should rest on the presence of the pronounced signs of intoxication, edema of the lonsils and stomatopharyngeal mucosa, and pannicular patches spreading beyond the tonsils. In the presence of toxic diphtheria, the stages of croup become shorter while the recognition of its symptoms is embarrassing.