[Detection and identification of the pathogenic cause of a brain abscess by molecular genetic methods].
Brain abscesses are life-threatening and detection and identification of the causative pathogens are crucial for substantiating the diagnosis and for selecting the optimal antibiotic regimen. In approximately 20% of the patients microbiological cultures of abscess material remain sterile. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides a methodological alternative, but data about the use of broad spectrum PCR assays to detect the causative pathogens in brain abscesses are rare. We report on the case of a 65-years-old patient with a brain abscess caused by Fusobacterium spp., which was only diagnosed by broad spectrum PCR. To our knowledge this is the second report about a brain abscess, where Fusobacterium spp. was identified only by broad spectrum PCR and subsequent DNA sequencing.
Heininger
A D
AD
Abteilung für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin, Universität Tübingen. Alexandra.Heininger@med.uni-tuebingen.de
Will
B E
BE
Krueger
W A
WA
Kottler
B M
BM
Unertl
K E
KE
Stark
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005673:Fusobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D005674:Fusobacterium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004269:DNA, Bacterial