Uvulitis in Children

The term uvula comes from “uva,” the Latin word for grape. The palatine uvula or uvula is located at the back edge of the soft palate as a projecting soft tissue in the midline of the oropharynx. It is composed of muscle fibers surrounded by connective tissue with blood vessels, lymph nodes, and the abundance of palatine glands. It is covered by an epithelial layer in continuum with the oral mucosa. Although it is often overlooked during the physical exam, the uvula is a highly sophisticated accessory tissue: mechanically, it is involved in speech and swallowing as a part of the soft palate; it also produces large quantities of saliva as a part of the digestive process in the oral cavity [1]. Isolated uvulitis described as enlarged uvula due to inflammation that can be secondary to bacterial infection, allergy, chemical exposures, and trauma is quite uncommon [2, 3]. It often manifests with an acute onset that can be life-threatening due to the risk of airway obstruction.