[Brain abscess--a possible complication of cerebral infarction?]

A 68-year-old man with arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus suffered a stroke with hemiparesis. The ischemic infarction was demonstrated by computer assisted tomography and angiography. At the site of the original infarction a large brain abscess developed several months later and caused the patient's death. A secondary hematogenous infection of the necrotic area (in this case Staphylococcus aureus, probably from bronchiectasis) seems likely. Other cited case reports show that after cerebral necrosis of various origin the possibility of a secondary brain abscess should be considered.