Lemierre Syndrome More Than "The Forgotten Disease"

A 54-year-old woman presented with fever, spasmodic torticollis, ptosis, and chemosis in her left eye. CT venous angiography revealed cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) and left internal jugular vein thrombosis (IJVT) (figure, A), cervical MRI detected a retropharyngeal abscess and epidural empyema (figure, B and C), and chest X-ray showed multiple pulmonary opacities (figure, D). The clinical/radiologic picture, due to anaerobic septicemia, was consistent with Lemierre syndrome (LS), the so-called "forgotten disease."(1) Extensive neuroimaging studies are mandatory to detect an abscess in the neck of patients with CST and IJVT for early diagnosis and treatment. LS is still relevant today.