Unusual presentation of Lemierre's syndrome: two cases and a review

Abstract

Lemierre's syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that usually presents with oropharyngeal infection, followed by sepsis, thrombosis of the internal jugular vein and septic emboli. Most cases are caused by the Gram-negative, anaerobic Fusobacterium necrophorum. We present two patients with an atypical presentation of Lemierre's syndrome and a review. These cases illustrate that a positive blood culture for F. necrophorum, even without the presence of clinical symptoms pointing towards thrombosis of the internal jugular vein, justifies further radiological testing for thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein.