Abstract

The authors report a patient with a very rare manifestation of Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia infection presented with exudative tonsillitis in an immunocompetent host.  The patient presented with acute febrile illness with upper respiratory tract symptoms.  He did not have any underlying diseases, but had a history of eating microwaved ready-to-eat frozen meals.  Physical examination revealed enlarged tonsils with exudates.  Blood culture indicated that the patient was suffered from Listeria monocytogenes.  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and culture were normal.  There were no physical or laboratory findings to suggest that he was immunocompromised. He was intravenously treated with ampicillin for 21 days and was followed up uneventfully for three years.  To our knowledge, this is the very rare case of Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia without central nervous system involvement presented with exudative tonsillitis in an immunocompetent host.

Keywords: Listeria monocytogenes, Bacteremia, Immunocompetent, Exudative tonsillitis