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References

Kolenbrander P. Oral microbial communities: biofilms, interactions, and genetic systems. Ann Rev Microbiol. 2000; 54::413-437
Hischebeth G, Keil V, Gentil K, Boström A, Kuchelmeister K, Bekeredjian-Ding I. Rapid brain death caused by a cerebellar abscess with Fusobacterium nucleatum in a young man with drug abuse: a case report. BMC Res Notes. 2014; 7
Denes E, Barraud O. Fusobacterium nucleatum infections: clinical spectrum and bacteriological features of 78 cases. Infection. 2016; 44:475-481
Alvis-Miranda H, Castellar-Leones SM, Elzain MA, Moscote-Salazar LR. Brain abscess: current management. J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2013; 4:S67-S81
Azenha M, Homsi G, Garcia I. Multiple brain abscess from dental origin: case report and literature review. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2011; 16:393-397
Yang S. Brain abscess: a review of 400 cases. J Neurosurg. 1981; 55:794-799

Letters to the editor

From Volume 44, Issue 11, December 2017 | Pages 1093-1094

Authors

Emily Stacey

Maxillofacial SHO, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust

Articles by Emily Stacey

Khari Lewis

BDS, MBBS, MFDS, MRCS

Maxillofacial Registrar, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust

Articles by Khari Lewis

Article

Fusobacterium nucleatum is an anaerobic micro-organism that is found only in the human oral cavity, where it co-exists with more than 500 other species.1 It causes diseases such as periodontal and soft tissue abscesses, which can spread to the brain and cause intracerebral infection.2 Infections of the brain involving F. nucleatum are uncommon but potentially severe, with many requiring surgery.3

Here we report a case of a 50-year-old man with a cerebellar abscess caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum that resulted in left-sided hemiplegia (Figures 1 and 2).

This patient presented in A&E following a fall, with left-sided weakness and pyrexia. CT and MRI imaging revealed a brain abscess in relation to the right parietal/posterior frontal lesions. This is shown in Figures 1 and 2. After 48 hours of progressively worsening left-sided weakness, the patient underwent drainage of the right brain abscess and was treated with antibiotics.

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