Emerging role of in brain abscesses: A case report and literature review.

We describe a case of a 29-year-old man from Pakistan who presented with progressive neurologic symptoms over 1 week and was found to have a right parietal cerebral abscess. Neurosurgical drainage cultures showed growth of , , and . An abscessed molar was identified as the likely port of entry and was extracted. The patient was treated with metronidazole, vancomycin, and doxycycline because of prior anaphylaxis to penicillin. At 6-month follow-up, repeat magnetic resonance imaging showed no signs of residual abscess. Culture-independent identification techniques (e.g., ribosomal sequencing) increasingly identify as a causative agent and significant pathogen in spontaneous brain abscesses. As understanding about prevalence and pathogenesis improves, questions arise about optimal treatment strategy, which we discuss based on a literature review.