Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical
College, New York, NY, USA | Department of Neurological Surgery, Weill Cornell
Medical College, New York, NY, USA
Note: [] Correspondence: Anne Russo, M.D., Department of Pediatrics,
Division of Newborn Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell,
525 East 68th Street, N 506, New York, NY 10021, USA. Tel.: +1 212 746 3530;
Fax: +1 212 746 8608; E-mail: anr9097@nyp.org
Abstract: Brain abscesses in infants are extremely rare and occur as an
uncommon complication of bacterial meningitis or sepsis. This case is of a 29
week male premature infant with a diagnosis of a brain abscess at 63 days of
life secondary to methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA)
which evolved after a fairly unremarkable neonatal intensive care unit course.
Cultures of the cerebrospinal fluid and blood yielded no growth. He was found
to be colonized with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus on routine
surveillance cultures after transfer from an outside hospital. The infant
required a temporary external ventricular drain for hydrocephalus and
compression of the brainstem secondary to the mass effect. He is currently
developing favorably at 14 months after undergoing prolonged treatment with
Vancomycin and Rifampin.
