Nocardial brain abscesses in a pregnant woman

Rev Infect Dis. 1991 Jul-Aug;13(4):630-2. doi: 10.1093/clinids/13.4.630.

Abstract

We describe what we believe to be the second case in which a pregnancy was complicated by the formation of brain abscesses due to Nocardia asteroides; this case may be the first one in which no risk factor for the infection (other than the pregnancy itself) could be found. Craniotomy with surgical drainage of the abscesses, combined with prolonged antimicrobial therapy, led to clinical cure in the mother, and she gave birth to an unaffected infant. This case illustrates the difficulty in treating a nocardial infection of the brain during pregnancy as well as the importance of achieving adequate surgical drainage of the abscesses.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ampicillin / therapeutic use
  • Brain Abscess / drug therapy
  • Brain Abscess / microbiology
  • Brain Abscess / surgery*
  • Ceftriaxone / therapeutic use
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Craniotomy*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nocardia Infections / drug therapy
  • Nocardia Infections / microbiology
  • Nocardia Infections / surgery*
  • Nocardia asteroides / isolation & purification*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / drug therapy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / microbiology
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / surgery*
  • Sulfisoxazole / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Sulfisoxazole
  • Ceftriaxone
  • Ampicillin