title: Oral bacterial cultures in nontraumatic brain abscesses: results of a first-line study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bacterial cultures from nontraumatic brain abscesses (BAs) frequently contain oral bacteria. We assessed bacterial cultures from BAs and oral infective sources for a bacterial match.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bacterial samples from brain abscesses and oral abscesses, and at sites with probing depths >or=3.5 mm were taken from 11 nontraumatic BA patients and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Brain abscess bacterial cultures were obtained in 9 of the 11 cases, which revealed 5 cases of Streptococcus milleri group bacteria and 4 cases of subgingival flora. The bacteriologic results were interpreted taking all medical and bacteriologic findings into account, which made an oral origin of the BAs most likely in 6 of the 11 cases: from an oral abscess and from the subgingival flora in 3 cases each.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early collaboration between neurosurgeons, infectious disease specialists, and oral-maxillofacial surgeons will aid the identification and treatment of suspected oral sources of nontraumatic BAs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Clinic for Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. anmueller@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Andreas Albert
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Belma
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saldamli
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stübinger
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Ursüla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Flückiger
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwenzer-Zimmerer
authors.forename: Hans-Florian
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zeilhofer
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmerer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005260:Female; D005491:Focal Infection, Dental / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010508:Periodontal Abscess / Q000382:microbiology; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D034364:Streptococcus milleri Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*