Lemierre syndrome: Current evidence and rationale of the Bacteria-Associated Thrombosis, Thrombophlebitis and LEmierre syndrome (BATTLE) registry.

Abstract Lemierre syndrome is a rare but potentially fatal condition characterized by septic thrombophlebitis of the head and neck district, preferentially affecting adolescents and young adults and manifesting as a complication of a local bacterial infection – typically, a pharyngotonsillitis or an abscess. It is historically associated with the Gram-negative anaerobic rod Fusobacterium necrophorum and with thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. However, its definition has never been firmly established, and its spectrum within the continuum of bacteria-associated thrombophlebitis may be larger than what presumed so far. Recent evidence suggests that its prognosis remains serious ev…