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Complicated otitis media caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

W. Giridharan
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
S. De
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
E. Z. Osman
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
L. Amma
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
J. Hughes
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
M. S. McCormick
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, UK.

Abstract

Fusobacterium necrophorum is implicated as an aetiological agent in a variety of necrotic diseases, such as Lemièrre’s syndrome (LS) in humans. LS was initially described as septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein secondary to an acute oropharyngeal infection. Other primary sources of infection include parotitis, otitis media, sinusitis, odontogenic infection and m stoiditis. In the pre-antibiotic era LS carried a high mortality. This has been reduced as a result of the widespread use of antibiotics, butthere is still a definite morbidity and mortality associated with infection with this virulent organism. We report three cases of complicatedotitis media caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum. The patients were treated successively with intravenous metronidazole and surgery.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2004

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