title: Successful outcome of aspergillus brain abscess in a patient who underwent bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia.
abstract: We report the course of an aspergillus brain abscess in an 18-year-old female patient who underwent bone marrow transplantation for aplastic anemia. The abscess was discovered on day 35 post-transplant, in a cranial computerized tomography (CT) scan performed for the evaluation of an unexplained headache. Meanwhile, she was receiving broad-spectrum antibacterials and liposomal amphotericin B for a right upper pulmonary lobe infiltrate. A percutaneous puncture of the cerebral lesion was performed; fungal elements were seen in the pus obtained and its culture yielded A. fumigatus. The dose of amphotericin B was increased, intraconazole was added and two more punctures were done. With these antifungals, the abscess regressed significantly; so, amphotericin B was discontinued after a cumulative dose of 6775 mg but intraconazole was maintained at 400 mg/day. At the last follow-up, seventeen months after detection of the abscess, the patient was well, without symptoms and the cerebral lesion diminished to a very small, thick-walled CT image.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Cerrahpaşa Medical School, University of Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Başlar
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soysal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aygün
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ferhanoğlu
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sarioğlu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ulkü
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology