Complications of peritonsillar abscess due to Fusobacterium necrophorum.

Even though anaerobic bacteria have been causally related to peritonsillar abscesses and secondary complications,1-3 such infections have been diagnosed infrequently. Reported here is a patient with a peritonsillar abscess, complicated by cellulitis and lung abscesses. An anaerobic organism, Fusobacterium necrophorum,, was identified as the etiological agent. CASE REPORT A 14-year-old black boy was in good health until three weeks prior to admission when he developed a sore throat, dysphasia, fever, and chills. His physician diagnosed viral pharyngitis; a throat culture was not obtained and no antimicrobial therapy was prescribed. During the following 12 days, because the patient had developed a nonproductive cough and experienced a 4.52-kg weight loss, he was brought to the Pediatric Emergency Clinic, Grady Memorial Hospital.