Rare Lemierre's Syndrome Nearly Kills 18-Year-Old Student After Cold

An 18-year-old student in Taiwan experienced a dramatic and life-threatening turn of events after what began as a common cold. Initially suffering from a cough and runny nose, her condition rapidly deteriorated over two weeks. She developed a high fever, severe cough, diarrhea, and excruciating neck pain, prompting an emergency transfer to Fengyuan Hospital.

Medical teams diagnosed her with Lemierre's syndrome, a rare and highly fatal bacterial infection. The syndrome, also known as the "forgotten disease," has an incidence rate of about one in a million and typically affects young people. It often stems from an infection in the throat or head, where bacteria invade the internal jugular vein, forming a septic thrombosis that can spread to multiple organs, including the lungs, liver, and brain.

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Lemierre's syndrome is a severe bacterial infection that spreads from a throat infection throughout the body. Its progression is rapid and highly fatal.

At the hospital, the student presented with signs of sepsis, including pneumonia, low blood pressure, and rapid heart rate. Doctors identified a retropharyngeal abscess and septic pulmonary embolism. Further tests revealed the presence of *Clostridium perfringens*, confirming the diagnosis of Lemierre's syndrome. Her condition worsened, leading to seizures and the spread of infection to her central nervous system, causing a subdural abscess in her brain.

Neurosurgeons performed emergency surgery to clear the abscess and halt the infection's progression. Following the operation, she received continuous antibiotic treatment and close monitoring. After her condition stabilized, she underwent a second stage of skull reconstruction surgery. After nearly a month of intensive care and rehabilitation, the student has made a good recovery and was successfully discharged from the hospital.

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Patients admitted to the hospital already showed signs of sepsis, including low blood pressure and rapid heart rate. We detected the abnormality from what appeared to be a simple respiratory infection.