Fusobacterium necrophorum or more commonly known as Lemierre’s, is a rare disease in which F. necrophorum bacteria infects the throat giving the person tonsillitis, which spreads to the internal jugular vein and forms septic thrombophlebitis (infected blood clot). Part of the blood clot breaks off and travels through the blood, then starts to infect different parts of the body. F. necrophorum comes from the Fusobacterium species and according to the Red Book they are a non-spore-forming, gram-negative bacilli and are commonly found in soil and in the respiratory tracts of animals.
In 1936 Andre Lemierre was the first doctor to report that Lemierre's was cause by Fusobacterium, but it was not until the 1980's that the disease started to be referred to as …show more content…
Within 4-5 days symptoms can progress to include: neck mass, dyspnea, coughing, yellowing of the eyes, neck pain, bone/joint pain, night sweats, and heoptysis. When presenting to a doctor the first signs normally observed are a fever followed by a peri-tonsillar abscess and neck mass. Consequently the mass is often mistaken for an enlarged lymph node due to its location near the jaw/sternocleidomastoid muscle making it difficult to directly link it to Lemierres alone. According to the International Journal of Emergency Medicine a study of 109 cases found "52% of patients had a swollen or tender neck, while 48% had no significant neck findings. For reasons that are not clear, a significant percentage of patients (11%-49%) with Lemierre’s syndrome will be jaundiced". Shock may follow. Late stage findings may include: kidney/liver failure, septic arthritis, abscesses in the spleen or lungs, meningitis, cranial nerve 10, 11, 12 palsies, trismus (lockjaw), infected joints/bones, or pockets of infection found in the
In 1936 Andre Lemierre was the first doctor to report that Lemierre's was cause by Fusobacterium, but it was not until the 1980's that the disease started to be referred to as …show more content…
Within 4-5 days symptoms can progress to include: neck mass, dyspnea, coughing, yellowing of the eyes, neck pain, bone/joint pain, night sweats, and heoptysis. When presenting to a doctor the first signs normally observed are a fever followed by a peri-tonsillar abscess and neck mass. Consequently the mass is often mistaken for an enlarged lymph node due to its location near the jaw/sternocleidomastoid muscle making it difficult to directly link it to Lemierres alone. According to the International Journal of Emergency Medicine a study of 109 cases found "52% of patients had a swollen or tender neck, while 48% had no significant neck findings. For reasons that are not clear, a significant percentage of patients (11%-49%) with Lemierre’s syndrome will be jaundiced". Shock may follow. Late stage findings may include: kidney/liver failure, septic arthritis, abscesses in the spleen or lungs, meningitis, cranial nerve 10, 11, 12 palsies, trismus (lockjaw), infected joints/bones, or pockets of infection found in the