Facial Cellulitis and Thrombosis With Pulmonary Septic Emboli Mimicking Lemierre's Syndrome

Abstract

Lemierre’s syndrome is characterized by thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and bacteremia, typically caused by anerobic microorganisms following a recent pharyngeal infection, first described by Andre Lemierre as a clinical finding of “anerobic post-anginal sepsis” in 1936. Diagnosis is made by identifying thrombosis of the internal jugular vein; although variants of the disease with facial vein thrombosis have been reported, in addition to positive anerobic blood cultures, the most common causative organism remains Fusobacterium necrophorum . The mainstay of treatment remains prolonged antibiotic therapy. J Med Cases. 2016;7(3):87-89 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2422w