Faculty Collaboration Database

Increased diagnosis of Lemierre syndrome and other Fusobacterium necrophorum infections at a Children's Hospital. Pediatrics 2003 Nov;112(5):e380

Date

11/05/2003

Pubmed ID

14595080

DOI

10.1542/peds.112.5.e380

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-19244372002 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   176 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the apparent increase in the diagnosis of Lemierre syndrome (LS) and other Fusobacterium necrophorum infections at a large children's hospital. Infections with F necrophorum ranged from peritonsillar abscess to potentially fatal LS. LS is an oropharyngeal infection characterized by septic thrombophlebitis of head and neck veins, complicated by dissemination of septic emboli to pulmonary and systemic sites.

METHODS: Review of the medical and laboratory records was conducted of all patients who were seen at or admitted to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin with the diagnosis of LS and/or isolation of F necrophorum from a clinical specimen between January 1995 and January 2002.

RESULTS: During the 7-year period of the study, there was an increase in the isolation of F necrophorum from patients who were seen at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, as well as the number of cases of LS. There was 1 isolation of F necrophorum from clinical specimens per year from 1996 to 1999, which increased to 10 isolates of the organism from January 2000 to January 2002. During the most recent period, January 2001-January 2002, 5 cases of LS were diagnosed, a distinctive entity not recognized previously at the institution.

CONCLUSIONS: The cause for the recent increase in the number of serious infections caused by F necrophorum infection diagnosed at our institution is unclear but does not seem to be related to changes in microbiologic techniques or patient demography. We speculate that it could be attributable, in part, to alterations in antibiotic usage patterns in our region. Clinicians need to be aware of the increasing clinical importance of F necrophorum infections and the life-threatening nature of LS.

Author List

Ramirez S, Hild TG, Rudolph CN, Sty JR, Kehl SC, Havens P, Henrickson K, Chusid MJ

Author

Kelly J. Henrickson MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Child
Female
Fusobacterium Infections
Fusobacterium necrophorum
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Incidence
Jugular Veins
Male
Peritonsillar Abscess
Pulmonary Embolism
Retrospective Studies
Syndrome
Thrombophlebitis
Wisconsin