Zeitschrift für Wirbelsäulen- und Neurochirurgie

Streptococcus parasanguinis as Cause of Odontogenic Brain Abscess

Alessandro Frati, Alessandro Pesce, Giada Toccacelib, Michele Acqui, Riccardo Caruso, Maurizio Salvati and Antonino Raco

Brain abscess (BA) is a serious life threatening condition, usually fatal if left untreated. Despite the continuous advances in antibiotic therapy and in technologies for surgical treatment, the mortality rate is still as high as 10% in western countries and up to 32% in the developing countries. The most common pathogenetic mechanisms of intracranial abscesses are the following: infection caused by penetrating cranial trauma and/or neurosurgical procedure, hematologic dissemination by distant abscesses, dissemination for continuity by proximal abscesses as otitis, sinusitis, periodontal pathology and dental abscesses. Odontogenic origin of a brain abscess is an uncommon finding. The aim of this study is to report an odontogenic brain abscess sustained by Streptococcus Parasanguinis strain, a microorganism thought to initiate dental plaque, capable of sustaining endocarditis but never described in literature as cause of brain abscess.