Bacillus cereus brain abscesses occurring in a severely neutropenic patient: successful treatment with antimicrobial agents, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and surgical drainage

Intern Med. 2001 Jul;40(7):654-7. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.40.654.

Abstract

Multiple brain and liver abscesses developed immediately after Bacillus cereus bacteremia in a neutropenic patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. After even 8 weeks of antimicrobial chemotherapy together with administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, every infectious process disappeared but the patient's headache has still persisted. Because the wall of one brain abscess became thin and was in danger of rupturing into the ventricle, surgical drainage was performed, resulting in disappearance of headache and resolution of brain abscess. The present case indicates that a combined medical and surgical approach is mandatory to treat patients with brain abscesses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Bacillus cereus* / isolation & purification
  • Brain Abscess / diagnosis
  • Brain Abscess / drug therapy
  • Brain Abscess / microbiology*
  • Brain Abscess / therapy*
  • Drainage
  • Female
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / therapy*
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / drug therapy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neutropenia / chemically induced
  • Neutropenia / complications*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor