• N Davidoss, J F Ha, J R Anderson, and S Rodrigues.
• Department of Ear, Nose and Throat,Royal Perth Hospital,Western Australia,Australia.
• J Laryngol Otol. 2015 Jan 1; 129 Suppl 1: S60-2.

BackgroundLemierre's syndrome, which affects previously healthy, young adults, is a rare complication secondary to infections in the head and neck that result in septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein.MethodThis paper reports a case of a young, healthy female with malignant otitis externa, which resulted in the development of Lemierre's syndrome. A review of the relevant literature was also carried out. This involved a search of the Medline database using multiple search terms including 'Lemierre', 'septic thrombophlebitis', 'otitis externa', 'internal jugular vein thrombosis' and 'management'.ResultsThe patient presented with fever, left-sided otalgia, otorrhoea, neck swelling and pain. She was subsequently diagnosed with Lemierre's syndrome and managed accordingly.ConclusionLemierre's syndrome is a potentially fatal complication associated with significant morbidity. A high index of suspicion is required for prompt recognition and the early institution of treatment.

21 keywords...

hide…