[Intracerebral hemorrhage and multiple brain abscesses caused by Bacillus cereus within the scope of acute lymphatic leukemia].

Multiple hematogenic brain abscesses in immunosuppression are occasionally caused by rare and primary apathogenic causative agents. We report a first case of an isolated CNS infection by Bacillus cereus, which led to death from multiple brain abscesses and an intracerebral hemorrhage, probably caused by the infection, within 4 days. The underlying disease leading to immunosuppression was acute lymphatic leukemia in complete remission. In spite of antibiotic therapy the chemotherapy-induced neutropenia enabled unhindered spreading of the necrotizing infection, which was verified by histological analysis. The production of potent toxins such as hemolysin and cerelolysin by B. cereus leads to rapid and fulminant tissue destruction usually involving the walls of blood vessels.