[Oropharyngeal origin of septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein. Apropos of 3 cases].

While before antibiotics cases of septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein secondary to oropharyngeal infection were frequent and had a poor prognosis, today they are exceptional and often have a favourable course under antibiotic therapy. The clinical features are often limited to fever and a painful tumefaction of the anterior border of the sterno-cleido-mastoidian muscle, symptoms may be more pronounced in the Lemierre syndrome in which the anaerobic septicaemia is associated with secondary, especially pleuro-pulmonary, localizations. The diagnosis can be confirmed with a cervical CT-scan showing an enlarged, thrombosed vein which does not opacify and has a hyperdense periphery. Treatment is based on parenteral antibiotics adapted to anaerobic germs.