Infect Chemother.  2013 Sep;45(3):335-338. 10.3947/ic.2013.45.3.335.

Brain Abscess Caused by Enterococcus avium: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Park SY
• Park KH
• Cho YH
• Choi SH

• KMID: 2170434
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2013.45.3.335

Abstract

Brain abscesses can be highly lethal if appropriate treatment is not administered, and reports of such an abscess caused by Enterococcus avium are very rare. Here,we report a case of a 48-year-old man presenting with chronic otitis media. He initially presented with a headache and right otalgia. An otoscopic evaluation performed on the day of admission showed exudation of fresh pus from the right ear. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a hypodense area in the right temporoparietal lobe, suggestive of a brain abscess. A culturing of the ear discharge and brain abscess aspirate proved of E. avium infection. Following stereotactic aspiration of the brain abscess and proper antimicrobial treatment, the patient recovered completely. In this report, we also review and discuss the available medical literature on previous cases of E. avium infection associated with brain abscess.

Keyword

Brain abscess; Enterococcus avium; Otitis media

MeSH Terms

Abscess
Brain
Brain Abscess
Ear
Earache
Enterococcus
Headache
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Otitis Media
Suppuration

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 MRI scan of the brain shows a 3.5-cm, round, rim-like enhancing lesion in the right temporoparietal lobe with perilesional edema. (A) Axial T1-weighted MRI shows a thin, ring-like, hyperintense lesion in the right temporoparietal region, which was presumed to be due to the paramagnetic effects of the abscess capsule. (B) T2-weighted axial MRI shows the hypointense rim of the abscess with a large area of high signal intensity, which is consistent with edema.

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