Lemierre syndrome complicated by cavernous sinus thrombosis, the development of subdural empyemas, and internal carotid artery narrowing without cerebral infarction. Case report

An Unusual Etiology of Lemierre-Like Syndrome: Preseptal Cellulitis due to Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Lemierre’s syndrome (LS) is a rare and potentially fatal condition that predominantly affects young adults with oropharyngeal infection. Fusobacterium necrophorum is the usual etiology and classically causes internal jugular vein septic thrombophlebitis, frequently complicated by septic emboli to several organs (most classically to the lungs). Lemierre-like syndrome (LLS) describes the same constellation of symptoms and pathophysiology as Lemierre’s syndrome; however, Fusobacterium spp. are not the cause, and the source of infection may be nonoropharyngeal. We present a case with an unusual etiology of LLS: a patient with untreated preseptal cellulitis and associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia in the setting of injection drug use. Physical exam revealed tachypnea and rhonchi with severe periorbital and bilateral eyelid edema. Imaging demonstrated bilateral preseptal and orbital cellulitis with thrombosis of both internal jugular veins and bilateral pulmonary cavitary lesions consistent with septic pulmonary emboli. She was managed with anticoagulation and parenteral antibiotics. To our knowledge, this is the first case of LLS originating from preseptal cellulitis without evidence of preceding pharyngitis. While facial and orbital infections are rare etiologies of LLS, the potentially devastating sequelae of LLS warrant its inclusion in differential diagnoses.

Complications of peritonsillar abscess

Background

The vast majority of patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA) recover uneventfully on abscess drainage and antibiotic therapy. However, occasionally patient´s condition deteriorates as the infection spread in the upper airway mucosa, through cervical tissues, or hematogenously. The bacterial etiology of PTA is unclarified and the preferred antimicrobial regimen remains controversial. The current narrative review was carried out with an aim to (1) describe the spectrum of complications previously recognized in patients with peritonsillar abscess (PTA), (2) describe the bacterial findings in PTA-associated complications, and (3) describe the time relation between PTA and complications.

Methods

Systematic searches in the Medline and EMBASE databases were conducted and data on cases with PTA and one or more complications were elicited.

Results

Seventeen different complications of PTA were reported. The most frequently described complications were descending mediastinitis (n = 113), para- and retropharyngeal abscess (n = 96), necrotizing fasciitis (n = 38), and Lemierre´s syndrome (n = 35). Males constituted 70% of cases and 49% of patients were > 40 years of age. The overall mortality rate was 10%. The most prevalent bacteria were viridans group streptococci (n = 41, 25%), beta-hemolytic streptococci (n = 32, 20%), F. necrophorum (n = 21, 13%), S. aureus (n = 18, 11%), Prevotella species (n = 17, 10%), and Bacteroides species (n = 14, 9%). Simultaneous diagnosis of PTA and complication was more common (59%) than development of complication after PTA treatment (36%) or recognition of complication prior to PTA (6%).

Conclusion

Clinicians involved in the management of PTA patients should be aware of the wide range of complications, which may arise in association with PTA development. Especially males and patients  > 40 years of age seem to be at an increased risk of complicated disease. In addition to Group A streptococci and F. necrophorum, the current findings suggest that viridans group streptococci, S. aureus, Prevotella, and Bacteroides may also play occasional roles in the development of PTA as well as spread of infection. Complications occasionally develop in PTA patients, who are treated with antibiotics and surgical drainage.

Cavernous sinus thrombosis caused by Streptococcus constellatus-associated Lemierre syndrome presenting as an isolated abducens nerve palsy

Purpose

To describe a patient with Streptococcus constellatus-associated Lemierre syndrome complicated by eventual cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) that manifested as an isolated abducens nerve palsy.

Observations

A patient with a history of heavy alcohol use presented with Lemierre syndrome caused by an odontogenic infection due to Streptococcus constellatus. Despite initiation of intravenous antibiotics and eventual eradication of her bacteremia, she developed an isolated abducens nerve palsy on hospital day 7 due to associated CST.

Conclusions and Importance

CST is a rare complication of odontogenic infection and Lemierre syndrome. This case demonstrates the potential for primary odontogenic infections to progress to life- and sight-threatening diseases. This case also illustrates the importance of considering uncommon pathogens as the etiology of CST based on the suspected source of primary infection.

The Forgotten One: Lemierre's Syndrome Due to Gram-Negative Rods Prevotella Bacteremia

Patient: Male, 22

Final Diagnosis: Lemierre’s syndrome

Symptoms: Dyspnea • chest pain • swelling

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Thoracentesis

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

The forgotten disease: Bilateral lemierre's disease with mycotic aneurysm of the vertebral artery

Patient: Male, 25

Final Diagnosis: Lemierre’s disease

Symptoms: Back pain • fever • headache • tachycardia • tachypnoe

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: —

Specialty: Infectious Diseases

Lemierre's disease: a case with bilateral iliopsoas abscesses and a literature review

Lemierre's disease is characterized by sepsis, often with an oropharyngeal source, secondary septic emboli and internal jugular vein thrombosis (Lancet 1:701-3, 1936. Clin Microbiol Rev 20(4):622-59, 2007). Septic emboli affecting many bodily sites have been reported, including the lungs, joints, bones, and brain. The case report describes an unusual case of Lemierre's disease in a 64 year old gentleman causing profound sepsis, acute kidney injury, bilateral iliopsoas abscesses and a right hand abscess. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Lemierre's disease in the context of bilateral psoas abscesses, and highlights the ambiguity surrounding the definition of Lemierre's disease. The clinical literature review highlights the difficulty in definitively diagnosing the condition and offers some suggestions for recognising and refining the diagnostic criterion of Lemierre's.

Lemierre syndrome secondary to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection associated with cavernous sinus thromboses

BACKGROUND

Lemierre Syndrome (LS) is a highly aggressive rare disease process with a predilection for young, healthy adolescents. Often beginning with a primary cervicofacial infection, LS rapidly progresses to thrombophlebitis of the cerebral vasculature, metastatic infection, and septicemia. Untreated LS can be rapidly fatal. Thrombus within the cerebral vasculature can have devastating neurological effects. Advances in antibacterial therapy have resulted in a global decline in the incidence of LS, and clinicians may not consider LS early in the disease process. Although the mortality of LS has declined, the morbidity associated with the disease has increased, particularly the neurological sequelae.

OBJECTIVES

This report will provide readers with a better understanding of the etiology, clinical presentation, evaluation methods, and appropriate treatment of LS.

CASE REPORT

We present an atypical case of LS secondary to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection progressing to bilateral cavernous sinus and ophthalmic vein thromboses with resultant binocular vision loss secondary to optic nerve and retinal ischemia.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the importance of early recognition of LS in the setting of a community-acquired MRSA infection as the unifying condition in a young patient with multiple acute neurologic impairments.

Skull base osteomyelitis and potential cerebrovascular complications in children

Skull base osteomyelitis is an aggressive, life-threatening infection that can be challenging to diagnose and treat. It occurs predominantly in elderly immunocompromised patients, but it has also been reported in children with normal immunological status. Typical skul base osteomyelitis arises as a complication to ear infection mainly involving the temporal bone and is usually caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Atypical or central skul base osteomyelitis originates from paranasal infections, is primarily centred on the clivus and is usually caused by Aspergillus, Pseudomonas, Salmonella or Staphylococcus species. Potential complications include retropharyngeal abscesses, cranial neuropathies, meningitis, intracranial abscesses, sinovenous thrombosis, and carotid artery involvement with or without ischemic infarcts. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to illustrate the spectrum of imaging findings and potential complications of skul base osteomyelitis.

Lemierre syndrome with blepharoptosis

A 51-year-old woman was hospitalized with a high fever, occipital pain, blepharoptosis, and trismus. Enhanced CT showed thrombophlebitis of her left cavernous sinus, maxillary vein, and multiple pulmonary nodular lesions. (18)F-FDG PET/CT showed significant uptakes in the same lesions. Streptococcus constellatus was detected in her blood. Therefore, she was diagnosed as a Lemierre syndrome variant. After administration of antibiotics, all symptoms, inflammatory reactions, and thrombi disappeared. Since Lemierre syndrome has life-threatening potential, early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate therapy are important. In this case, (18)F-FDG PET/CT was useful to detect the focus and extent of infection.

[Phlegmon of the palm of the hand as initial manifestation of the Lemierre syndrome]

Lemierre's syndrome is a rare disease in young otherwise healthy people showing septic embolism in the lungs and peripheral vessels. We report the case of a 19-year-old male patient who presented initially with a phlegmon of the right palm and beginning septic shock. During the clinical course a subcutaneous abscess of the left shoulder, multiple lesions of the lungs and a pericardial abscess were identified and Lemierre's syndrome was diagnosed. In this case, positron emission tomography (PET) was revealed to be an appropriate instrument to determine the extent of the disease in a one step procedure.