Lemierre Syndrome: A Diagnosis behind the Veil

Lemierre syndrome (LS) is a rare, serious infection that is often misdiagnosed, as it frequently mimics common upper respiratory infections. It is even rarer for LS to be preceded by a viral infection. We share a case of LS in a young man who presented to the Emergency Department with COVID-19 viral...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pak-Ho Au, Kelechi Nwabara, Nanuli Gvazava, Shannon Ejiofor, Ghulam Ghous
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Infectious Diseases
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/2273954
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Summary:Lemierre syndrome (LS) is a rare, serious infection that is often misdiagnosed, as it frequently mimics common upper respiratory infections. It is even rarer for LS to be preceded by a viral infection. We share a case of LS in a young man who presented to the Emergency Department with COVID-19 viral infection followed by a subsequent LS diagnosis. The patient’s condition initially worsened despite treatments for COVID-19 and was subsequently started on broad-spectrum antibiotics. He was then diagnosed with LS after blood cultures grew Fusobacterium necrophorum, and antibiotics were adjusted accordingly, resulting in improvement of symptoms. Even though LS is often recognized as a sequela of bacterial pharyngitis, preceding viral infections, including COVID-19, might be a risk factor that contributes to the development of LS.
ISSN:2090-6633