Suppurative pylephlebitis caused by toothpick perforation.

We have reported a case of suppurative pylephlebitis in an elderly, debilitated patient. The infection was caused by toothpick perforation of and migration from the gastrointestinal tract. The patient had risk factors for foreign body ingestion, including poor dentition, aphasia caused by a previous cerebrovascular accident, and alcohol abuse. Investigation for the otherwise obscure cause of suppurative hepatic disease should take into account the possible, yet difficult to define, source related to an ingested foreign body.