Septic Emboli

Findings:

Axial FLAIR and T1 post contrast images show small ring enhancing lesions in the right parietooccipital and left frontal lobes with no significant mass effect.

Differential Diagnosis:

metastases, septic emboli, small abscesses of other cause (including fungal), multifocal primary neoplasm less likely

Disscussion:

This patient is an IV drug abuser with endocarditis. Septic emboli may arise from an extracranial source of infection such as aortic valve vegetations of endocarditis or septic thrombophlebitis with a patent foramen ovale. Occasionally, no source is found.

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