Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Lemierre Syndrome & Septic Pulmonary Embolism
- Radiologic Findings
- CT of the chest demonstrating multiple nodules, some of which are cavitated in a 31-year-old woman with Lemierre syndrome and septic pulmonary embolism. Bilateral pleural effusions are also present. CT of the neck demonstrating thrombosis of the internal jugular vein.
In this case, b-hemolytic streptococcus Group C was isolated from blood culture. The patient had a rapid response to IV antibiotics
- Brief Review
- Lemierre syndrome is an uncommon septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. Most of the patients affected with this illness are adolescents or young adults in whom the inciting infection is tonsillopharyngitis, odontogenic infection, mastoiditis, or sinusitis. The usual cause is Fusobacterium necrophorum, but Streptococcus, Bacteroides, Peptostreptococcus, and Eikenella are also causes.
Extension of the infection to the adjacent lateral pharyngeal tissue containing the internal jugular vein results in the characteristic manifestations. Vascular involvement is followed by hematogenous spread to other organs, most commonly the lungs, causing metastatic abscesses. Pulmonary involvement in Lemierre syndrome has been reported in up to 97% of cases and has included septic pulmonary embolism with lung abscesses, pleural effusion, empyema, and pneumothorax.
- References
- 1. Cook RJ, Ashton RW, Aughenbaugh GL, Ryu JH. Septic pulmonary embolism: presenting features and clinical course of 14 patients. Chest 2005;128:162-166
2. Kristensen LH, Prag J. Human necrobacillosis, with emphasis on Lemierre’s syndrome. Clin Infect Dis 2000;31:524-532
3. Liu AC, Argent JD. Necrobacillosis: a resurgence? Clin Radiol 2002;57:332-338
- Keywords
- Vascular, Embolic, Thromboembolic, Bacterial infection,