Lemierre's Like Syndrome: Retropharyngeal Abscess With Internal Jugular and Cerebral Venous Thromboses and Septic Embolization Leading to Pulmonary Embolism and Cerebral Abscesses Complicated by Papilledema and Residual Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy.

A male child with a history of sinusitis presented to the emergency medicine department with a high fever, neck swelling, headache, vomiting, and double vision. He was diagnosed with retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) with bilateral internal jugular vein (IJV) and cerebral venous thromboses. The child was treated promptly and transferred to a specialty center, where the abscess was drained. However, he developed papilledema and septic embolism, leading to pulmonary embolism and cerebral abscesses. The child was an inpatient for six weeks and had outpatient treatment for three months. He developed exotropia due to bilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy. This existed even at the 24-month follow-up. This case report highlights the rare complications and morbidity from the retropharyngeal abscess. It also emphasizes the early diagnosis and management options in a busy emergency medicine department.

Bowel Ischemia in a Patient With SARS CoV-2-Like Illness and Negative Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Test Results During the Peak of the Pandemic.

An 83-year-old man presented to the emergency department (ED) during the peak of the first wave of the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic with severe abdominal pain, mimicking a severe abdominal pathology. He was found to have features suggestive of COVID-19 infection radiologically, with no leaking aortic aneurysm, bowel ischemia, pancreatitis, or perforation. With worsening symptoms, a repeat computer tomography (CT) scan four days later showed features of bowel ischemia, and he underwent a laparotomy and right hemicolectomy. Four real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) tests were negative. He was still considered to be infected with COVID-19 and died from complications arising from multi-organ failure. This case highlights an atypical presentation of a possible COVID-19 infection, the urgency to have additional diagnostic tests apart from rRT-PCR, and the necessity to use the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.