title: Brain abscesses associated with right-to-left shunts in adults.
abstract: Although brain abscesses are frequently cryptogenic in origin, bacteria must reach the brain either by direct or hematogenous spread. Right-to-left shunts, caused either by intrapulmonary vascular malformations or congenital heart defects, may allow microorganisms to evade the normal host defenses in the lungs and lead to development of brain abscesses. Two patients recently presented with brain abscesses and were found to have conditions associated with right-to-left shunts. The diagnosis of brain abscess should prompt the clinician to consider right-to-left shunts as a possible predisposing condition for brain abscess.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, USA.
authors.forename: Kashif A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Kerry O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gelfand
mesh_terms: D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged