Septic Pulmonary Embolism in Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction: A Case Report

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a syndrome characterized by excessive fibrosis in multiple organs. Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) is one of the major gastrointestinal manifestations of SSc, characterized by long-standing symptoms suggesting obstruction without a lesion identified despite endoscopic and/or radiological examination. Septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) is a rare type of pulmonary embolism in which emboli containing pathogens embolize to the pulmonary arteries and cause focal lung abscesses. The case of a 53-year-old man with SSc-associated IPO who developed SPE is described. K. pneumoniae was isolated from blood cultures. After four weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy, follow-up computed tomography showed complete disappearance of the pulmonary cavity lesions. This case suggests that patients with SSc-associated IPO are at risk of infection and the importance of careful observation.