Head and neck manifestations of tularemia

Tularemia is a relatively uncommon infectious cause of cervical lymphadenopathy. The records were studied of 81 patients hospitalized in western Arkansas with the diagnosis of tularemia over the period of 1970 to 1980. Fourteen cases (17%) had symptoms or findings referable to the head and neck at some time during the disease. Delay in treatment was prolonged in some cases by failure to consider tularemia as a possible diagnosis. The pertinent epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment are briefly reviewed.