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Cerebral abscess caused by Capnocytophaga spp in an immunocompetent subject: case report

B Ricciardi1, I Galgani, M Trezzi

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, Misericordia Hospital, Grosseto, Italy.

Le Infezioni in Medicina
|October 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

This case report details a rare cerebral abscess caused by Capnocytophaga bacteria in an immunocompetent individual. The bacteria exhibited natural resistance to metronidazole, impacting treatment efficacy.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Capnocytophaga spp. are Gram-negative bacteria typically found as oral flora in humans and animals.
  • Invasive infections by Capnocytophaga are uncommon, particularly in immunocompetent individuals without specific risk factors.

Observation:

  • A rare case of a cerebral abscess caused by Capnocytophaga spp. is presented.
  • The affected individual was immunocompetent and lacked typical risk factors for invasive Capnocytophaga infections.

Findings:

  • The Capnocytophaga strain identified in this case demonstrated natural resistance to metronidazole.
  • This resistance rendered metronidazole, a common component of empirical cerebral abscess treatment, ineffective.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the potential for Capnocytophaga to cause severe infections even in immunocompetent hosts.
  • The findings underscore the importance of considering antimicrobial resistance patterns, such as metronidazole resistance in Capnocytophaga, for effective treatment of brain abscesses.

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