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Postoperative Mycoplasma hominis brain abscess: keep it in mind!
Sarah Maria Bergin1, Shehara M Mendis1, Barnaby Young2
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
BMJ Case Reports
|January 11, 2017
Summary
Mycoplasma hominis, a bacterium often found in the urethra, can cause serious infections like brain abscesses after urinary catheterization. Early diagnosis and doxycycline treatment are crucial for effective management.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Brain abscesses require prompt diagnosis and treatment.
- Urinary catheterization is a common medical procedure associated with infection risks.
Observation:
- A patient with a temporal lobe abscess showed persistent fever despite standard antibiotic treatment.
- Initial cultures were negative, but extended cultures and 16S rDNA sequencing identified Mycoplasma hominis.
Findings:
- Mycoplasma hominis, typically a urethral commensal, was identified as the causative agent of the brain abscess.
- The patient recovered after the addition of doxycycline, an effective treatment for Mycoplasma hominis.
Implications:
- Urinary catheterization may lead to transient bacteremia, seeding existing inflammatory sites with Mycoplasma hominis.
- Mycoplasma hominis infections might be underestimated due to the need for specialized, extended culture techniques for diagnosis.
