Lemierre’s Syndrome after Head and Neck Photoimmunotherapy for Local Recurrence of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Abstract Introduction: Head and neck photoimmunotherapy (HN-PIT) uses a combination of drugs and laser illumination to specifically destroy tumor cells. Lemierre’s syndrome is an infectious disease with severe systemic symptoms caused by prior infection in the pharyngeal region, leading to thromboph...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Case reports in oncology 2024-02, Vol.17 (1), p.180-185
Main Authors: Nishimura, Midori, Okamoto, Isaku, Ito, Tatsuya, Tokashiki, Kunihiko, Tsukahara, Kiyoaki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Blood clots
Cancer therapies
Case Report
Case reports
Endoscopy
Epidermal growth factor
Fatalities
Head & neck cancer
head and neck carcinoma
head and neck photoimmunotherapy
Hospitalization
Infections
Lasers
lemierre’s syndrome
Leukocytes
Lymphatic system
Medical diagnosis
Mucositis
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Patients
Radiation therapy
Sepsis
Squamous cell carcinoma
Surgery
Throat cancer
Thrombosis
Veins & arteries
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Summary:Abstract Introduction: Head and neck photoimmunotherapy (HN-PIT) uses a combination of drugs and laser illumination to specifically destroy tumor cells. Lemierre’s syndrome is an infectious disease with severe systemic symptoms caused by prior infection in the pharyngeal region, leading to thrombophlebitis. Here, we report a case of Lemierre’s syndrome that developed after HN-PIT for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Case Presentation: A 68-year-old male with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (squamous cell carcinoma) underwent HN-PIT after local recurrence with chemoradiation therapy. Three months after HN-PIT, the patient developed fever and neck pain, which led to a diagnosis of Lemierre’s syndrome. The patient was treated with antibiotics and anticoagulants for at least 1 month. The patient’s general condition and inflammatory findings on blood sampling showed gradual improvement, and a follow-up cervicothoracic computed tomography imaging showed that the venous thrombus had been obscured and the patient was doing well. Conclusion: HN-PIT is a high-risk procedure for the development of Lemierre’s syndrome due to irradiation-induced mucositis, and anticipating the development of Lemierre’s syndrome during HN-PIT is important.
ISSN:1662-6575
1662-6575
DOI:10.1159/000535597