Septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, a case of Lemierre's syndrome

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An 18-year-old gentleman with a history of recurrent tonsillitis presented to the emergency room complaining of worsening sore throat. He was found to have a peritonisillar abscess, and imaging revealed a non-occlusive left internal jugular vein thrombosis. Lemierre's syndrome is a rare, potentially fatal condition characterized by internal jugular vein thrombosis with septicemia following an acute oropharyngeal infection. While anticoagulation is the mainstay of treatment of deep venous thromboembolism (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), the use of therapy is controversial in septic thrombophlebitis. This is counterintuitive since a common reported complication is pulmonary emboli. Early in the course of thrombophlebitis, while the thrombus is firmly attached, antibiotics may be all that is necessary to treat the condition.