Sore throat progressing to embolic sepsis: a case of Lemierre's syndrome.
Lemierre's syndrome is a rare clinical syndrome defined as orophyngeal sepsis, thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and septic thombo-emboli. It is typically encountered in young, immunocompetent individuals, with a mean incident age of 20 years. The organism that is most commonly associated is an anaerobic Gram-negative bacterium: Fusobacterium species. The defined treatment course is at least six weeks of antibiotics, with the role of anticoagulation being unclear. The present article documents a case of Lemierre's syndrome complicated by acute renal failure and loculated pleural effusion in an otherwise healthy 16-year-old patient.
Dirks
Jacquelyn
J
Division of Respirology, Department of Intensive Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. dirks.jackie@gmail.com
Bowie
Dennis
D
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D057831:Lemierre Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000150:complications*