| Symptoms |
| Fever |
| Malaise |
| Severe sore throat (worse on one side) |
| Dysphagia |
| Otalgia (ipsilateral) |
| Physical findings |
| Erythematous, swollen soft palate with uvula deviation to contralateral side and enlarged tonsil |
| Trismus |
| Drooling |
| Muffled voice (“hot potato voice”) |
| Rancid or fetor breath |
| Cervical lymphadenitis |