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What causes acute laryngitis?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025
The cause of acute laryngitis is predominantly viral. The leading etiologic role is played by parainfluenza viruses, mainly type 1, followed by PC viruses, influenza viruses, mainly type B, adenoviruses. Less common are herpes simplex and measles viruses. Bacterial infection plays a lesser role in the etiology of acute laryngitis, but, as a rule, leads to a more severe course. The main pathogen is Haemophilus influenzae (type b), but it can also be staphylococcus, group A streptococcus, pneumococcus. In previous years, before mandatory vaccination of children against diphtheria, the main pathogen was the diphtheria bacillus, which has now become a rarity.
Pathogenesis of acute laryngitis
The anatomical and physiological characteristics of the body of young children, namely: the narrowness of the lumen of the larynx, trachea and bronchi, the tendency of the mucous membrane and the loose fibrous connective tissue located underneath to edema and the relative weakness of the respiratory muscles, contribute to the development of acute laryngitis at this age.
In the pathogenesis of acute laryngitis, edema of the mucous membrane and submucous tissue of the larynx plays a role, which leads to narrowing of the latter. In stenosing laryngitis, the following factors are added: firstly, reflex spasm of the laryngeal muscles, secondly, mechanical blockage of the lumen of the larynx with inflammatory secretion - mucus.
Respiratory failure due to narrowing of the larynx lumen most often develops at night due to changes in the conditions of lymph and blood circulation in the larynx, and a decrease in the frequency and depth of respiratory movements during sleep.