Faculty members at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine publish case study in Pediatrics in Review, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Dr. April Troy, Dr. Dennis Dawgert are Abingtons residents

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SCRANTON, PA (05/23/2018) Two faculty members at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) have published a case study in the April edition of Pediatrics in Review, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The paper was co-authored by two members of Geisinger Commonwealth's MD Class of 2016. The faculty authors are April Troy, M.D., Ph.D., regional education coordinator of pediatrics and assistant professor of pediatrics and F. Dennis Dawgert, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at GCSOM. Alumni authors are John Mangan, M.D., now a second-year orthopedic surgery resident at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and Darshan Shah, M.D., also a second-year orthopedic surgery resident, at San Antonio Military Medical Center.

The case study is entitled, "Jaw Pain, Pain on Deep Inspiration and Severe Odynophagia in an 18-year-old Boy." The patient was found to have a rare and potentially life-threatening condition known as Lemierre syndrome. Fusobacterium necrophorumbacteria is most likely to cause the condition and was implicated in the case study, but other bacteria types are also known causes. Lemierre syndromewas once common but, since the advent of antibiotics, is now rarely seen.

The case study suggests that Lemierreshould be considered as a diagnosis if a patient presenting with what appears to be a streptococcal infection does not follow the typical progression of that disease. The hallmark of Lemierre is the severe pain in the neck that is from the thrombo-phlebitis in the jugular vein. Lemierre, if undetected, can lead to septic emboli and death. It appears to be increasing in incidence in the U.S. and occurs in young healthy males. This report highlights the importance of keeping this diagnosis in mind in atypical throat pain.

The case study may be viewed at http://pedsinreview.aappublications.org/content/39/4/211

Both Drs. Troy and Dawgert reside in Clarks Summit.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) is a member of the Geisinger family. Geisinger Commonwealth offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Doylestown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) degrees. The college's innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its 17-county region in northeastern and north central Pennsylvania, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.