A Case Report of Delayed Diagnosed Oropharyngeal Tularemia Complicated with Retropharyngeal Abscess

Abstract

Tularemia is a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by Francisella tularensis with diverse clinical presentations. We present an oropharyngeal tularemia case complicated with retropharyngeal abscess which is a rare reported complication of tularemia. A twenty-one-year old male farmer was admitted to our hospital with a history of fever, headache, generalized aches and tender lump on the left side of neck. Physical examination revealed tender lymphadenopathy on the left posterior cervical region and retropharyngeal abscess. Surgical intervention was performed under general anesthesia. The diagnosis was made by serological tests. After antimicrobial therapy the patient recovered completely without sequelae.