2023 Volume 72 Issue 3 Pages 471-475
The patient was a 58-year-old male with complaints of left hemiplegia and headache after pulling out a right molar. Multiple masses in the right cerebral hemisphere were identified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At neurosurgery in our hospital, burr hole drainage was performed. The Gram staining findings of fluid of a brain abscess showed small Gram-negative bacilli. We presumed oral microorganisms on the basis of morphological characteristics, and administration of meropenem was started. Aggregatibacter aphrophilus was identified by MALDI-TOF MS. In this case, it was suggested that brain abscesses were secondary to caused by dental and periodontal disease, as the patient had been receiving dental treatment. We consider that surgical treatment and detection of pathogenic microorganisms in a microbiological test, in addition to specifying the infection focus, are important for the treatment of brain abscesses. In this case, sharing information, such as the background of the patient, with a clinician was useful for identifying of the bacterial species, which contributed to the prompt initiation of treatment.
