The 'forgotten disease' (or the never known)

Lemierre's syndrome is an acute oropharyngeal infection with secondary septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and frequent metastatic infections. Despite its rarity, it is important to have a high degree of clinical suspicion to recognise it early. A history of sore throat followed by metastatic infections and abscesses should alert the clinician to the possibility of this unusual infection. We present a case of Lemierre's syndrome presenting with meningitis in a previously healthy young adult along with a review of the pathophysiology of necrobacillosis and its diagnosis, diagnostic difficulty and treatment.