Aggregatibacter aphrophilus misidentified as Brucella spp. in an immunocompetent patient with brain abscess

J Pak Med Assoc. 2016 Aug;66(8):1032-4.

Abstract

Aggregatibacter aphrophilus rarely causes brain abscesses. Here we report a case of the brain abscess caused by Aggregatibacter aphrophilus. Cultivated gram negative coccobacilli from cerebral abscess were initially misidentified as Brucella spp. because it gave false positive agglutination with anti-Brucella sera. Definite identification was made with MALDI-TOF assay. Right to left shunt through the pulmonary arteriovenous malformation was speculated to be the underlying cause for the brain abscess. The patient was treated successfully with ampicillin-sulbactam after failing ceftriaxone treatment.

Keywords: Aggregatibacter aphrophilus, brain abscess, brucella..

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aggregatibacter aphrophilus
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain Abscess / complications
  • Brain Abscess / diagnosis*
  • Brain Abscess / microbiology
  • Brain Abscess / therapy
  • Brucella
  • Brucellosis / diagnosis*
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Drainage
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunocompetence*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Pasteurellaceae Infections / complications
  • Pasteurellaceae Infections / diagnosis*
  • Pasteurellaceae Infections / therapy
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents