Lemierre's syndrome: a sinister sore throat every clinician should remember

Fusobacterium necrophorum is an anaerobic gram-negative bacterium that can present as a painful sore throat. Although uncommon, clinicians need to be aware of this condition as this can present a diagnostic challenge, with the initial symptoms being non-specific followed by a fulminant course. We present the case of a previously healthy girl who presented with a sore throat but later developed a full-fledged picture of Lemierre’s disease. She developed bilateral pleural effusion and internal jugular venous thrombosis and needed intensive care management, a prolonged course of intravenous antibiotics and anticoagulation therapy.