Open AccessUnusual case of Lemierre’s syndrome
Author(s) -
Issrah Jawad,
Arjun Chandna,
Stephen Morris-Jones,
Sarah Logan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2018-226948
Subject(s) - medicine , fusobacterium necrophorum , pharyngitis , lemierre's syndrome , internal jugular vein , blood culture , venous thrombosis , thrombosis , antibiotics , surgery , thrombophlebitis , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
A young previously healthy patient presented with sepsis and cavitating pneumonia. Campylobacter rectus was isolated from blood cultures and subsequent CT neck showed an internal jugular vein thrombosis. Treatment was with antibiotics, anticoagulation and supportive management. Lemierre's syndrome is an infectious thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. Although a rare diagnosis since the use of penicillin for treatment of acute pharyngitis, it is being reported with increasing frequency. Usually associated with Fusobacterium spp, we believe that this is the first reported case of Lemierre's caused by C. rectus- an anaerobic member of the human oral cavity flora, usually associated with localised periodontal disease. The bacillus was isolated from blood during the acute presentation.