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Fungal brain abscesses in neonates: Sonographic appearances and corresponding histopathologic findings
Author(s) -
Marcinkowski Monika,
Bauer Karl,
StoltenburgDidinger Gisela,
Versmold Hans
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/jcu.1059
Subject(s) - medicine , systemic candidiasis , brain abscess , abscess , echogenicity , pathology , mycosis , complication , gestation , systemic disease , aspergillosis , radiology , pregnancy , surgery , immunopathology , ultrasonography , antifungal , dermatology , immunology , corpus albicans , genetics , biology
Extremely preterm neonates and neonates with predisposing conditions such as congenital or acquired immunodeficiency are at high risk for systemic fungal infection. Abscess formation in the brain is a severe complication that occurs in 70% of neonates with systemic fungal infection. Cerebral sonography can be used to diagnose abscesses in the brain in these patients. We report 2 sonographic presentations of fungal brain abscesses in neonates confirmed by postmortem histopathologic examination. The first patient, an extremely preterm neonate of 23 weeks' gestation with a systemic Candida albicans infection, had multiple small, round, hypoechoic lesions with echogenic rims in both brain hemispheres. The second patient, a term neonate with disseminated aspergillosis and DiGeorge syndrome, had a few large echogenic areas in the right periventricular region. Brain imaging should be considered in the diagnostic workup in neonates with suspected systemic fungal infection. Cerebral involvement can be diagnosed at the bedside with cerebral sonography. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 29:417–421, 2001.