Abstract
Background
Cerebral abscesses are a rare complication after therapeutic neuro-endovascular procedures.
Method
The aim of this article is to report a case of cerebral abscess after the endovascular embolization of a cerebral aneurysm and to discuss and review all the cases of cerebral abscess secondary to neurovascular embolization described in the literature up to now.
Results
A 40-year-old female patient was treated using an endovascular embolization for a ruptured aneurysm of the basilar artery tip. After 2 months she presented with a cerebellar abscess. Antibiotic therapy was started, and a surgical drainage of the collection was performed, with a favorable postoperative outcome. Twelve other cases were reported in the literature, in five cases secondary to the treatment of a cerebral aneurysm, in six cases secondary to a cerebral arterio-venous malformation (AVM) and in one case secondary to a dural arterio-venous fistula (DAVF). The pathophysiology and risk factors of cerebral abscess formation are discussed in detail.
Conclusions
The risk of cerebral abscesses after neuro-endovascular embolization is not negligible, and a growing number of patients affected by this complication may be expected in the near future because of the spreading of neuro-endovascular techniques. The role of prophylactic antibiotic therapy in specific subgroups of patients is still debated.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Cossu, G., Daniel, R.T. & Messerer, M. Cerebral abscess after neuro-vascular embolization: Own experience and review of the literature. Acta Neurochir 159, 583–591 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-016-3069-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-016-3069-9