Educational resource · Not a medical device · Infectious diseases review in progress · Does not replace clinical judgement

Fusobacterium necrophorum — Lemierre syndrome

Review by an infectious diseases specialist in progress · edited by a physician, AI-assisted writing · level of evidence computed from the source type · page as of 30 October 2026 · Methodology

Fusobacteriaceae · Gram-negative anaerobe

Fusobacterium necrophorum est l'agent du syndrome de Lemierre ('maladie oubliée' — Lemierre 1936, Lancet) : thrombophlébite septique de la veine jugulaire interne + emboles septiques pulmonaires (et autres) compliquant une angine/pharyngite, principalement chez le jeune adulte (15-35 ans). PIÈGE DIAGNOSTIQUE CLASSIQUE : jeune adulte avec angine récente + fièvre persistante + douleur cervicale + tableau pulmonaire = Lemierre jusqu'à preuve du contraire. Hémocultures anaérobies positives dans la majorité des cas (délai 3-7j). Mortalité très élevée sans traitement, nettement réduite par un traitement adéquat. ATB : amoxicilline-clavulanate ou métronidazole + béta-lactamine IV prolongé (duration not verified — see cited source). Anticoagulation : débattue (pas de consensus).

Scope: dosing as described in the cited guidelines (French or international context, stated by the source), for adults with normal renal function unless stated on the line. No renal or hepatic, paediatric or pregnancy adjustment is provided systematically. These regimens have not been reviewed by any infectious-disease specialist to date.

Documented organ tropism

Organs where foci of Fusobacterium necrophorum are described in the cited literature. The reported frequency is not an individual probability.

Organ	Tropism	Level of evidence	Sources	Spread route
Lung (emboles septiques)	High tropism	Evidence C	2	hematogenous (derived from the card text)
Pharynx (porte d'entrée principale — angine)	High tropism	Evidence C	1	direct
Bones / Joints (sepsis à distance)	Moderate tropism	Evidence C	1	not recorded
Liver / Bile duct (emboles abdominaux)	Rare tropism	Evidence C	1	not recorded
Internal jugular vein	High tropism	Evidence C	2	direct

Described portals of entry

• Pharynx

Spread routes recorded: 3 of 5 documented foci (including 1 derived from the card text) A focus without a route is not a focus without spread: the route is simply not recorded.

Sources

• Riordan T — Human infection with Fusobacterium necrophorum (CMR) (2007) — doi:10.1128/CMR.00011-07
• Lemierre A — On certain septicæmias due to anaerobic organisms (Lancet) (1936) — doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(00)57035-4

This page is the text version, generated at build time. The 3D anatomical atlas requires JavaScript.