**1. Introduction**

The importance of septic embolism (SE) associated with infective endocarditis (IE) is both under-appreciated and under-stated [1, 2]. In one large series, systemic arterial embolization or septic pulmonary infarction occurred in approximately 33% and 11% of cases, respectively [1]. Although mortality attributable to IE can exceed 30% [1, 3], it is even higher among patients who experienced SE events [4]. Accurate and timely identification of IE and SE is of critical importance because the presence and type of SE is one of the most important factors taken into consideration when formulating a treatment strategy. Sound clinical judgment and a high

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

index of suspicion are required as the diagnosis of IE and SE is not based on a single test but rather on the combination of clinical findings and diagnostic studies. Microbiologic studies guide antimicrobial therapy. Advanced imaging, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is used to identify both the extent and location(s) of postembolic infarcts or abscesses. Surgical management, both cardiac and noncardiac, is beyond the scope of the current chapter and is discussed elsewhere in this comprehensive textbook.
