Recurrent lung nodules as a presentation of ventricular septal defect-related endocarditis

Abstract

Infective endocarditis is an uncommon microbial infection of the endocardial surface of the heart. Patients with structural heart disease, such as a ventricular septal defect, are at higher risk for infective endocarditis and clinicians must have a high index of suspicion in such patients presenting with recurrent fevers. We present a patient with a known ventricular septal defect presenting with recurrent fevers associated with migratory lung nodules following a “low-risk” dental procedure without antibiotic prophylaxis. The unusual presentation delayed the diagnosis of the migratory lung lesions as septic pulmonary emboli and consequentially the diagnosis of ventricular septal defect relat..