title: Cerebral abscess due to an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Causes of brain abscesses are multiple and often unclear. We present the case of a pregnant woman who developed a temporal brain abscess revealed by an epileptic seizure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perfusion lung scan was performed because she had a mild hypoxemia: absence of contrast into the pulmonary arteries was suggestive of a massive intracardiac shunt or an anomalous drainage of the superior vena cava. Contrast-enhanced echography showed an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava into the left atrium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although rare, this anomaly can exist in adults. This report emphasizes the necessity of effective cardiologic investigations in case of unexplained brain abscess.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Unit, Department of neurology, Tenon Hospital, AP-HP, 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hammoudi
authors.forename: I-P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Muresan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alamowitch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D000077213:Lamotrigine; D011247:Pregnancy; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D012640:Seizures / Q000473:pathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014227:Triazines; D000077213:Lamotrigine