Hot potato voice

A muffled voice resembling speech while attempting to talk with a mouthful of very hot food, often associated with trismus, odynophagia, and impaired resonance due to obstruction or inflammation of the upper airway and oropharyngeal structures.

Causes

• Infectious and inflammatory causes

  • Tonsillitis

  • Peritonsillar abscess

  • Retropharyngeal abscess

  • Parapharyngeal abscess

  • Epiglottitis

• Lymphoma causing tonsillar hypertrophy

• Tumors of the oropharynx or upper airway

• Foreign body obstruction