Lemierre Syndrome in a Healthy Patient: A Late Complication of Tonsillectomy?

Lemierre Syndrome in a Healthy Patient: A Late Complication of Tonsillectomy?

We present the case of an 18-year-old patient who developed bronchopneumonia shortly after tonsillectomy, for which she received a course of intervenous antibiotics. Almost two months after surgery she developed Lemierre syndrome (thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and septic emboli of the lung). This complication of tonsillectomy seems to be rare, but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the patient with respiratory infection in the post-tonsillectomy setting.