Washington Post Medical Mystery: Rare Severe Sore Throat Caused by Lemierre Syndrome

On Nov 3, 2009, the Washington Post Medical Mystery section published a story titled "Annoying bug turned out to be much more" where a 19 year old female presented with a sore throat which rapidly progressed to a blood clot in her jugular vein, pneumonia, and massive swelling in her neck.

What she ended up having was "Lemierre syndrome" suspected by the diagnosing doctor at Georgetown University Medical Center based on the two telltale symtoms of a jugular infection and presence of a blood clot.

Read the story here.

Washington Post Medical Mystery: Pulsatile Tinnitus (Noises in the Ear)

The Washington Post on July 7, 2009 published a story on a lawyer who suffered from pulsatile tinnitus (hearing one's heartbeat in the ear) which was ultimately found to be due to a carotid artery dissection. A carotid artery dissection could have resulted in a serious ischemic stroke which thankfully did not happen.

The story goes thru his experiences in trying to find a diagnosis and treatment.

Keep in mind that pulsatile tinnitus is completely different from continuous tinnitus.

Read more about tinnitus here.

Washington Post Medical Mystery: A Deadly Sore Throat

The Washington Post on September 23, 2008, published a story of a severe sore throat due to epiglottitis, a severe infection involving the epiglottis, a structure immediately above the airway, which can result in death if not treated quickly. However, due to an accurate diagnosis, treatment with antibiotics and steroids was quickly provided and the patient recovered uneventfully.

Read the story here.