Brain Abscess Due to Lactobacillus Fermentum in an Uncontrolled Diabetic

Supraja Achuthanandan1, Amit Dhaliwal1, Tiffany Lu1

  • 1Internal Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, USA.

Cureus
|July 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Brain abscesses are serious infections. This case highlights Lactobacillus fermentum as a rare cause, particularly in patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Brain abscesses are life-threatening collections of pus within the brain, often caused by common bacteria like Streptococcus and Staphylococcus.
  • Mortality rates for brain abscesses range significantly from 15% to 31%.

Observation:

  • This report details a rare case of brain abscess caused by Lactobacillus fermentum.
  • The patient presented with altered mental status, and uncontrolled diabetes was a significant comorbidity.

Findings:

  • Lactobacillus, typically found in the gut microbiome, is an extremely uncommon pathogen for brain abscesses.
  • The abscess was confirmed to be secondary to Lactobacillus fermentum infection.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering unusual pathogens in brain abscesses, especially in immunocompromised or comorbid patients.
  • Highlights the need for broad microbiological investigation in complex neurological infections.

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