Facial vein thrombophlebitis: A case report and literature review

Septic thrombophlebitis of the facial vein (STFN) commonly presents with facial erythema, tenderness, and swelling above the involved vessel. Due to its rarity, diagnosis and treatment remain a challenge. Lemierre syndrome (LS), which consists of a triad of internal jugular vein thrombophlebitis, septicemia, and distant septic emboli, is a more common entity of which physicians are more familiar. Whether tonsillitis-related STFN is actually LS in a different anatomical area and shares the same characteristics is still left to be answered. We present a case of STFN with a review of all cases reported in the literature.