Brain Abscess as a Complication of Stroke

Abstract

Background Systemic infection is a common complication of stroke. However, brain abscess as a complication of stroke has never been reported. Case Descriptions We report two patients, one with a hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage and the other with nonseptic cerebral infarction. In both patients, brain abscess developed at the stroke lesion site after an infectious complication. After surgical aspiration and antibiotic treatment, one patient recovered and the other died. Conclusions These two cases demonstrate that brain abscess may occur in a previous hemorrhage or infarction area as a complication of systemic infection. Recognition of the risk is important for early diagnosis and proper treatment of this potentially fatal complication of stroke.