Pattern of Throat Disease Among Patients Attending an ENT Outpatient Department in a District-Level Hospital in Bangladesh

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Throat disorders are one of the most frequently reported reasons for attending ear, nose and throat (ENT) outpatient departments (OPDs) in South Asia, but most published data on the pattern of these disorders in Bangladesh are from tertiary referral centers, and there is little information available at the district-hospital level. This study aimed to observe the sociodemographic profile, presenting symptoms, and pattern of diagnosed throat diseases of patients attending the ENT OPD of a district-level hospital in Bangladesh. Methods & Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at the Department of ENT, District Sadar Hospital, Rajbari, Bangladesh, from January 2025 to December 2025. Patients with complaints of throat symptoms were consecutively sampled and enrolled after informed consent (N = 70). Data on sociodemographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, and final clinical diagnosis were collected and analyzed descriptively in SPSS version 26. Results: Most participants were of middle socioeconomic status (51.4%), male (54.3%), rural (62.9%), and aged 11-20 years. Sore throat (70.0%) was the most common presenting symptom, followed by odynophagia (44.3%) and fever (40.0%). The most common diagnosis was chronic tonsillitis (25.7%), followed by acute tonsillitis (17.1%) and chronic pharyngitis (14.3%), with tonsillitis being the most common diagnosis in participants aged ≤20 years, while laryngeal and neoplastic conditions were more common in those aged >40 years. Conclusions: Tonsillitis and pharyngitis are the most common patterns of throat disease in the district-level ENT OPD of Bangladesh, sore throat is the most common symptom, and there is a definite age-related trend from tonsillar to laryngeal and neoplastic disease. Early clinical recognition at this level of care may help to ensure prompt management and referral.