[Let us not forget the Lemierre's Syndrome]

Abstract

Lemierre's syndrome is a dangerous potential sequela of pharyngitis that results in septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. A high index of suspicion is needed to consider this diagnosis in the workup of pharyngitis and should be aggressively treated once. Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, mainly Fusobacterium necrophorum are implicated. Before the antibiotic era, Lemierre's syndrome was common and often fatal. But with the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, the incidence of the syndrome dropped, and it eventually became known as the "forgotten disease". Since the 1990s, however, there has been a marked resurgence of Lemierre's syndrome. Although uncommon, clinicians need to be aware of this condition because patients with Lemierre's syndrome require prompt and appropriate antimicrobial therapy.