Novel partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection associated with brain abscess.

Authors

Anish Koka, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Amit Sachdev, MD, Department of Neurology, Jefferson Headache Center, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Moussa F Yazbeck, MD, Thomas Jefferson University
Rodney Bell, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Christopher Farrellc, MD, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2014

Comments

This article has been peer reviewed. It is the authors' final version prior to publication in Journal of Clinical Neurology

Volume 10, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 55-58.

The published version is available at DOI: 10.3988/jcn.2014.10.1.55 . Copyright © Korean Neurological Association.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Right-to-left vascular shunts are associated with brain abscess.

CASE REPORT: We present a 47-year-old female with a cryptogenic left thalamic abscess on which Streptococcus mitis grew upon aspiration. Computed tomography of the chest with contrast agent revealed an anomalous connection between the left superior pulmonary and brachiocephalic veins. A right-to-left shunt was confirmed in a transthoracic echocardiogram study in which bubbles were injected into the left arm; this shunt had not previously been noted upon right-arm injection.

CONCLUSIONS: We recommend aggressive evaluation for right-to-left shunts in patients who present with cryptogenic brain abscesses. In addition to imaging, this should include a bubble-based study with left-arm saline injection.

Recommended Citation

Koka, MD, Anish; Sachdev, MD, Amit; Yazbeck, MD, Moussa F; Bell, MD, Rodney; and Farrellc, MD, Christopher, "Novel partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection associated with brain abscess." (2014). Department of Neurology Faculty Papers. Paper 63.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/neurologyfp/63

PubMed ID

24465264