A case of brain abscess suspected to be caused by patent foramen ovale in a pediatric patient treated with percutaneous closure to prevent recurrence

Abstract

Herein, we report the case of an 8-year-old boy who complained of headache and nausea and experienced brain abscess.

After draining the abscess, the patient was discharged without any neurological deficit. A transesophageal echocardiogram was performed to investigate the cause of the brain abscess; it showed a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Percutaneous PFO closure was performed 2 months postoperation. Currently, to the best of our knowledge, no study has clearly shown the impact of PFO closure on the prevention of recurrence in patients with brain abscess complicated by PFO. However, the presence of brain abscess is a potentially fatal condition; transesophageal echocardiogram and PFO closure are worth considering for patients with brain abscesses of unknown etiology.