A young boy with a sore throat,cervical lymphadenopathy,and a low-grade fever is seen by his physician.Upon examination,his physician notes a thick,grayish membrane that bleeds when scraped covering the boy's tonsils and soft palate.A bacterial culture will most likely reveal the presence of

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The presence of a thick, grayish membrane on the tonsils and soft palate is highly suggestive of diphtheria, which is caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The other options, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Bordetella pertussis, are not typically associated with the formation of a membrane on the mucous membranes of the throat. Streptococcus pyogenes, which causes strep throat, can also cause a sore throat and cervical lymphadenopathy, but typically does not produce a membrane.

A Young Boy with a Sore Throat,cervical Lymphadenopathy,and a Low-Grade