A Forgotten Disease in Children: Lemierre Syndrome

Abstract

Lemierre’s syndrome is a life-threatening disease following oropharyngeal infections. A thirteen-year-old female patient presented with fatigue, facial edema, and shortness of breath. In the computerized tomographic examination, an abscessed area extends from the left temporal region to the bilateral submandibular area and the submental area from the para calvarial area. The right jugular vein calibration was thin and there was an intraluminal thrombus in the right innominate vein. The patient, who developed respiratory failure and whose mouth opening could not be achieved due to the abscess, was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit after an emergency tracheostomy was performed. Thoracostomy and pericardiotomy were performed due to pleural and pericardial effusion. Lemierre’s syndrome was diagnosed because of this clinical picture, which includes sepsis and jugular vein thrombosis after oropharyngeal infection. Early diagnosis, initiation of appropriate antibiotics and abscess drainage are important for Lemierre syndrome. A timely and multidisciplinary approach will be lifesaving.

Keywords

• lemierre
• children thrombus
• abscess