Septic pulmonary emboli due to periodontal disease

SummarySeptic pulmonary embolization (SPE) is a rare but serious disorder. It is a well-recognized potential problem in the settings of tricuspid valve endocarditis, septic thrombophlebitis, infected central venous catheters, and postanginal septicemia. Less well documented is the occurrence of SPE in patients with periodontal disease without suppurative thrombophlebitis of the great vessels of the neck. We report a patient with SPE in whom periodontal disease was the only identifiable nidus of infection and review the literature regarding the four other patients reported to have suffered this complication.