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[Cerebral abscesses of oral origin]
J Limeres-Posse1, I Tomás-Carmona, J Fernández-Feijoo
1Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela.
Introduction:
It has been suggested that between 3% and 13% of the cerebral abscesses (CA) are presumably associated to oral infections or dental procedures.
Aim:
Determine the prevalence of CA of oral origin, discussing their clinical and microbiological characteristics.
Patients And Methods:
Retrospectively, 54 cases of CA diagnosed in 3 hospitals of Galicia between 2001 and 2002 were reviewed.
Results:
A presumed oral portal of entry was recorded in 6 patients (11.1%); 4 cases were associated to oral infections and the remaining 2 had received dental treatment in the months prior to the onset of symptoms. Half of the patients showed irrelevant medical record, 2 had had previous extracranial abscesses and 1 presented a type A immunoglobulin deficiency. In 4 cases, the microbiological analysis was positive and typical oral bacteria (Streptococcus viridans and Peptostreptococcus spp.) were identified.
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that a significant number of CA are probably of oral origin. In consequence, to maintain a good oral health status is important and specific prophylactic measures before any dental procedure should be applied, especially in patients with risk recognized factors.