title: Hemianopsia from occipital lobe abscess after dental care.
abstract: We treated four patients who developed a homonymous hemianopsia from a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe of the brain. All four patients were treated successfully by surgical drainage of the abscess and administration of parenteral antibiotics for at least six weeks. Despite cure of the brain abscess, each patient was left with a permanent residual homonymous visual field defect. Cultures from the abscess fluid in three of the four patients grew oral flora. Moreover, each patient had a history of dental care two to four weeks before the onset of visual symptoms. A history of recent dental treatment in a patient with a new hemianoptic field defect should alert the ophthalmologist to the possibility of a bacterial abscess in the occipital lobe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0350.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wohl
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kattah
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kolsky
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Horton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003729:Dental Care / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents