Unilateral chronic tuboovarian abscess secondary to ruptured colonic diverticulum presenting as a brain abscess. A case report.
BACKGROUND
Tuboovarian abscesses (TOAs) are a somewhat unusual finding in postmenopausal patients without risk factors. We present a rare case of unilateral TOA initially presenting as a brain abscess in a postmenopausal woman.


METHODS
A 61-year-old woman presented with a complaint of forgetfulness, nausea and vomiting, with lower abdominal pain and diarrhea. She was found to have a brain abscess, which was treated by craniotomy, with drainage of the abscess, and intravenous antibiotics. The patient was subsequently found to have a pelvic mass, which, on laparotomy, was a unilateral TOA. Pathology demonstrated that the abscess contained vegetable matter consistent with origin in a ruptured diverticulum.


CONCLUSIONS
Diagnosis of a brain abscess should prompt a thorough investigation for a primary infectious source, including the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.
Pompeo
L
L
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA.
Heller
D S
DS
Hameed
M R
MR
Sama
J
J
Cracchiolo
B M
BM
D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000150:complications*; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D017698:Postmenopause; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous