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Updated: Aug 7, 2025

Closure of a Patent Foramen Ovale PFO: An Intervention Sequence
Published on: December 23, 2022
Streptococcus constellatus Brain Abscess in a Middle-Aged Man With an Undiagnosed Patent Foramen Ovale
Susan G Wager1, Nina K Bourdeau1, Joshua D Collins2
1Internal Medicine, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, USA.
Abstract:
Brain abscess is a rare diagnosis. Common sources of infection include direct spread from otic sources, sinuses, or oral cavities, and hematogenous spread from distant sources, including the heart and lungs. Brain abscess with cultures growing oral flora species, in rare cases, may develop from bacteria in the oral cavity entering the bloodstream and then traveling to the brain via a patent foramen ovale. This report highlights a case of brain abscess caused by Streptococcus constellatus in a middle-aged man with an undiagnosed patent foramen ovale.
Insights
A rare brain abscess caused by oral bacteria, Streptococcus constellatus, occurred in a man due to an undiagnosed patent foramen ovale. This case highlights a unique pathway for brain infection spread.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
Background:
- Brain abscess is an uncommon condition often resulting from direct or hematogenous spread of infection.
- Oral bacteria can cause brain abscesses, particularly when entering the bloodstream and reaching the brain through cardiac defects.
- Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a potential, often undiagnosed, route for such infections.
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