[Serratia marcescens brain abscess in a newborn].

The patient was born by emergency cesarean section for fetal distress at 35 weeks gestation with a weight of 2740 g. The early neonatal course was complicated by transient tachypnea and renal failure. He was receiving oxygen and diureticus in incubator for 5 days and his condition was very improved on day 5. On day 7 he became lethargy and there was inability to tolerate feeding. Investigation of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed 8,000 leukocytes/microliter. S. marcescens was grown from cultures of both blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment was started with cefotaxime and ampicillin every 6 hour. On day 14 the CT showed a brain abscess located parietooccipitally on the left side and diffuse infarction on the right side. On day 14 and 23 recurrence of increased leukocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid, high values of serum CRP and deterioration of clinical symptoms were observed. It is thought that the episodes show rupture of the abscess into the lateral ventricle. On day 55 surgical drainage was performed for the hydrocephalus. On day 110 the abscess was not found in the brain CT scan. His psychomotor development 3 years later was equivalent to two years old and he had secondary epilepsy.