Picture This
Oral Cues to Disease
The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth speaks volumes about the body. See how oral conditions provide clues to the bigger picture...
1. A 16-year-old boy presents with a skin ulcer on the dorsum of his hand and swollen glands in the proximal axilla. He works as a camp counselor in South Dakota, leading nature walks and teaching the children to care for animals, including the camp’s rabbits. Several weeks ago, he developed a fever of 103°F, fatigue, and body aches, followed by the appearance of the skin lesion.
Source: Science Source [Image Number BB8283]
Diagnosis: Tularemia—also called rabbit fever or deer fly fever—is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. It is an insect-borne pathogen of rabbits, squirrels, and other rodents, most commonly found in the western United States and Russia. Symptoms vary by mechanism of exposure but include skin ulcers; irritation and inflammation of the eye; sore throat, mouth ulcers, and tonsillitis; lung involvement with cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing; and swelling of regional lymph nodes. Tularemia can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
For more information, see “Pneumonic Tularemia Presenting With a Vesicular Eruption.” Cutis. 2015;95(4):E17-E18.