EC Paediatrics

Case Report Volume 14 Issue 5 - 2025

Atypical Lemierre’s Syndrome Caused by Proteus mirabilis: A Case Report

Alaa AlJuaid, Joud Alowfi* and Dareen Alghalbi

Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

*Corresponding Author: Joud Alowfi, Department of Pediatrics, King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital at King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Received: April 04, 2025; Published: April 11, 2025



Lemierre’s syndrome is defined by septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein following pharyngitis. It is commonly preceded by oropharyngeal bacterial infections. It is rare and typically affects previously healthy adolescents and young adults. Pathogens associated with Lemierre’s syndrome include organisms of the normal oropharyngeal flora. The reported most common causative organism is the anaerobic Fusobacterium necrophorum. In this case report, we present a 3-year-old boy with an atypical presentation of Lemierre’s syndrome complicating mastoiditis caused by Proteus mirabilis.

 Keywords: Lemierre Syndrome; Atypical Lemierre Syndrome; Lemierre Disease; Lemierre; Mastoiditis; Thrombosis; Proteus spp; Case Report

  1. Pleming William., et al. “Cardiac and cerebral arterial complications of Lemierre syndrome: results from a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis”. Hämostaseologie4 (2022): 261-267.
  2. Chirinos Julio A., et al. “The evolution of Lemierre syndrome”. Medicine6 (2002): 458-465.
  3. Valerio Luca., et al. “Lemierre syndrome: Current evidence and rationale of the bacteria-associated thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and Lemierre syndrome (BATTLE) registry”. Thrombosis Research 196 (2020): 494-499.
  4. Allen Brady W., et al. “Lemierre Syndrome”. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (2023).
  5. Karkos Peter D., et al. “Lemierre’s syndrome: A systematic review”. The Laryngoscope8 (2009): 1552-1559.
  6. Ramirez Susan., et al. “Increased diagnosis of Lemierre syndrome and other fusobacterium necrophorum infections at a children’s hospital”. Pediatrics5 (2003): e380.
  7. Kuppalli Krutika., et al. “Lemierre’s syndrome due to Fusobacterium necrophorum”. The Lancet Infectious Diseases 10 (2012): 808-815.
  8. Sacco Clara., et al. “Lemierre syndrome: Clinical update and protocol for a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis”. Hämostaseologie 1 (2018): 076-086.
  9. Riordan Terry. “Human infection with Fusobacterium necrophorum (Necrobacillosis), with a focus on Lemierre’s syndrome”. Clinical Microbiology Reviews4 (2007): 622-659.
  10. Valerio Luca., et al. “Patients with Lemierre syndrome have a high risk of new thromboembolic complications, clinical sequelae and death: an analysis of 712 cases”. Journal of Internal Medicine 3 (2020): 325-339.

Joud Alowfi., et al. "Atypical Lemierre’s Syndrome Caused by Proteus mirabilis: A Case Report". EC Paediatrics 14.5 (2025): 01-05.