title: A young adult patient with septic pulmonary emboli of undetermined origin.
abstract: A 25-year-old male who had no significant medical history presented abrupt onset of high-grade fever and chills without noticeable trigger. The patient sought for medical attention for subsequently developed dyspnea and chest pain. Radiological examinations revealed bilateral lung peripheral multiple opacities, some of which were cavitating, suggesting of septic pulmonary emboli (SPE). Isolation of Staphylococcus aureus in blood and sputum culture confirmed the diagnosis. Extensive examinations disclosed neither underlying immunocompromising conditions nor infectious foci, which are usually notable in patients with SPE. The present patient illustrates that there are patients with SPE in whom underlying conditions or infectious foci are difficult to determine, and that suspicion of the disease based on characteristic radiological findings is critical for appropriate management in those patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagafuchi
authors.forename: Takeharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Kazuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagafuchi
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizote
authors.forename: Hisamichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology*