Septic pulmonary embolism: Three case reports

Abstract

We present three cases of septic pulmonary embolism which occurred as a result of three different causes. The first case, was a 23 year old woman suffering from cough, sputum, hemopthisis and pleuritic chest pain. She had a right subclavian port. On her thorax computed tomography (CT) scans there were widespread bilateral, irregular parenchymal nodular infiltrates and some of them beginning to cavitate. Meticilin resistant stafilococus aureus (MRSA) was isolated from the blood culture and septic embolism was diagnosed. A month after antibiotic theraphy her parenchymal nodules have considerably decreased in size. The second case was a 40 year old woman admitted to our hospital with the same complaints. Her radiological findings were similar. Meticilin sensitive stafilococus aureus (MSSA) was isolated from the blood cultures and antibiotic theraphy was initiated. To investigate the etiology of the nodules due to septic embolism, echocardiography was performed and infective endocarditis was diagnosed. After the antibiotic theraphy and a tricuspid valve operation her parenchymal nodules disappeared. The final case involved a 51 year old man suffering from fever, fatigue, cough and pain in the left arm for one week. His general status was bad. His radiological findings were also similar to the others. Staphillococcus aureus was isolated from blood and wound culture. Following clinical and radiological findings we thought it was a case of septic pulmonary embolism and antibiotic theraphy was started. Despite the therapy we did not take fever response and he died five days after antibiotic therapy. In conclusion, septic pulmonary embolism should be considered in bilateral cavitary nodular infiltrates and must be managed fast.