Don’t Forget the Forgotten Disease: Lemierre Syndrome. Case Report

Abstract

We present the case of a three-year-old boy with Lemierre syndrome. He presented with the typical symptoms of an oropharyngeal infection, followed by bacteraemia and thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. However, the infection was atypically caused by Group A Streptococcus. The patient underwent surgical drainage of the abscess and received intravenous antibiotics and subsequently  anticoagulation therapy. This case report highlights the importance of early recognition and initiatiniation of appropriate antibiotics with coverage for both gram-positive and anaerobic bacteria to prevent adverse outcomes. The indications for anticoagulation therapy in paediatric patients remain controversial, but in general, it should only be administered if the thrombus involves critical areas or if septic emboli occur or the thrombus progresses despite antibiotic therapy.