title: Tularemia: a rare cause of neck mass, evaluation of 33 patients.
abstract: The objective of the study is to report 33 cases presenting with neck masses later diagnosed with tularemia and to raise attention to this rare zoonotic infection. A retrospective analysis of 33 patients, who were diagnosed with tularemia and treated at Erciyes University Department of Otorhinolaryngology between January 2010 and December 2010 was conducted. In conclusion, because tularemia is a rare infection, its diagnosis is frequently delayed and the symptoms of the patients may last for months without any appropriate treatment. The diagnosis of tularemia rests on clinical suspicion. For the patients, who carry risk factors for tularemia and having cervical lymphadenopathies with or without oropharyngeal symptoms and who do not response to treatment with beta-lactam antibiotics, tularemia must be kept in mind.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Erciyes University Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey. caglisedat@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cağlı
authors.forename: Alperen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vural
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.forename: Imdat
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yüce
authors.forename: Ercihan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güney
mesh_terms: D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D009333:Neck; D014406:Tularemia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology