2010 Volume 56 Issue 10 Pages 605-608
Lemierre syndrome is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by an acute oropharyngeal infection with secondary septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, frequently associated with abscess formation in distant organs.
We report the case of a 78-year-old woman who received surgical therapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy for malignant lymphoma in 2001. She visited our hospital because of a swelling and pain of the left submandibular region in August 2009. The patient was immediately hospitalized to control the pain and infection. PET images showed tracer uptake in the lung. Bilateral multiple septic emboli of the thorax were detected on CT. On the basis of these findings, Lemierre syndrome was diagnosed. The patient was treated with antibiotics intravenously, and surgical drainage was performed. All symptoms improved, and she was discharged after 32 days.
