PET findings in a brain abscess associated with a silent atrial septal defect

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1995 Nov;97(4):349-53. doi: 10.1016/0303-8467(95)00067-t.

Abstract

Brain abscesses are classical complications of congenital heart disease (CHD) in children and adolescents. This association is rarely observed in adults. We report a 46-year-old man presenting a fronto-parietal abscess associated with an asymptomatic atrial septal defect. Positron emission tomography (PET) study revealed high uptake of L-[methyl-11C]methionine ([11C]methionine) and 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) around the brain abscess. We suggest (1) to exclude a silent cardiac malformation in the presence of a cerebral abscess of unknown source occurring in adults; (2) to consider the diagnosis of brain abscess in cases of high uptake of [11C]methionine and FDG in relation to a brain lesion.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biopsy
  • Brain Abscess / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain Abscess / etiology*
  • Brain Abscess / microbiology
  • Child
  • Frontal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Frontal Lobe / microbiology
  • Fusobacterium / isolation & purification
  • Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / complications*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parietal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Parietal Lobe / microbiology
  • Peptostreptococcus / isolation & purification
  • Stereotaxic Techniques
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed*