J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2013 Apr;24(2):236-240.

A Case of Lemierre Syndrome

• Kim YI
• Han SK
• Park SW
• Min MG
• Park MR

Abstract

Lemierre syndrome is a rare syndrome caused by an acute pharyngitis with secondary septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and metastatic infections. Although mortality from Lemierre syndrome is low, it remains a potentially life-threatening disease that requires careful consideration, as its early diagnosis and treatment is essential to prevent metastatic infection. We report a case of a 19-year-old woman who presented with a sore throat and right upper quadrant pain. Abdominal and pelvic computerized tomography (CT) showed acalculous cholecystitis with hepatosplenomegaly. The chest CT showed septic emboli in both lung fields and the neck CT revealed thrombosis in the left internal jugular vein. The patient was treated with antibiotics. After nine days, the chest CT showed a further increase in the size of the septic embolism and the patient was treated with anticoagulants. After 23 days, the size of septic emboli in the lung significantly decreased and the patient was discharged.

Keyword

Lemierre Syndrome; Thrombophlebitis; Pharyngitis

MeSH Terms

Acalculous Cholecystitis
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anticoagulants
Early Diagnosis
Embolism
Female
Humans
Jugular Veins
Lemierre Syndrome
Lung
Neck
Pharyngitis
Thorax
Thrombophlebitis
Thrombosis
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anticoagulants