Lemierre’s syndrome: A rare complication of acute bacterial pharyngitis

Abstract

Lemierre’s syndrome is a rare clinical syndrome of septic thrombophlebitis following a bacterial oropharyngeal infection. Lemierre’s syndrome can be difficult to recognise and has significant morbidity. We report the case of a young man with Lemierre’s syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, who responded well to 2 weeks of beta-lactam therapy. Contributions: This case report summarises the key presenting features of Lemierre’s syndrome and provides a brief literature review considering the South African context.

Keywords

• lemierre’s syndrome
• sepsis
• thrombosis
• septic emboli
• strep pyogenes
• streptococcus
• neck mass
• jugular thrombophlebitis