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Cerebral abscess due to an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava
1Stroke Unit, Department of neurology, Tenon Hospital, AP-HP, 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France.
Introduction:
Causes of brain abscesses are multiple and often unclear. We present the case of a pregnant woman who developed a temporal brain abscess revealed by an epileptic seizure.
Observation:
Perfusion lung scan was performed because she had a mild hypoxemia: absence of contrast into the pulmonary arteries was suggestive of a massive intracardiac shunt or an anomalous drainage of the superior vena cava. Contrast-enhanced echography showed an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava into the left atrium.
Conclusion:
Although rare, this anomaly can exist in adults. This report emphasizes the necessity of effective cardiologic investigations in case of unexplained brain abscess.
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