Multiple nocardial abscesses of cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal cord, causing quadriplegia

Durmaz R., Atasoy M., Durmaz G., Adapinar B., Arslantas A., Aydinli A., ...More

CLINICAL NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY, vol.103, no.1, pp.59-62, 2001 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 103 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2001
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/s0303-8467(00)00123-2
  • Journal Name: CLINICAL NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.59-62
  • Keywords: abscess, brain, nocardia, spinal cord, ASTEROIDES, INFECTION
  • Eskisehir Osmangazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this paper we present a case of a diabetic patient with nocardial abscesses of cerebrum, cerebellum and the spinal cord. The present case is the first case in the literature of solitary intramedullary abscess in cervical spinal cord, causing tetraplegia. Nocardia asteroides grew in a culture of the abscess pus. After either surgical excision or drainage of lesions, a triple combination regimen of chemotherapy (amikacin, ceftriaxone and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) was given, but the patient was lost in the postoperative period. This case gives suggestive evidence of an association between cervical spinal cord involvement and poor prognosis in CNS nocardiosis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.