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Molecular revolution in the diagnosis of microbial brain abscesses

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A Correction to this article was published on 06 October 2020

This article has been updated

Abstract

A brain abscess is a life-threatening infection, frequently with serious sequelae. Culture-based methods present many limitations and do not enable an exhaustive documentation of the bacterial flora. 16S rRNA-based amplification, cloning, and high-throughput sequencing have dramatically increased the number of identified agents of brain abscesses, showing that the causative flora is polymicrobial in up to 40 % of cases, with the presence of at least one anaerobic bacterium. In contrast, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is an appealing alternative to culture-based methods for diagnosing brain abscesses due to its speed, sensitivity, and specificity. Molecular typing is available for several bacterial and fungal genera, and this user-friendly tool is accessible for the clinical microbiology laboratory to diagnose microbes involved in a brain abscess. This article reviews the applications of the currently available tools for the etiological diagnosis of a brain abscess.

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  • 06 October 2020

    An erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-020-04047-8.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. URMITE, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, Inserm 1095, Aix-Marseille Université, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille cedex 05, France

    A. K. Mishra, D. Raoult & P.-E. Fournier

  2. Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France

    H. Dufour

  3. Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Nord, Marseille, France

    P.-H. Roche

  4. Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital Pasteur, CHU de Nice, Nice, France

    M. Lonjon

  5. Fédération de Microbiologie Clinique, Hôpital de la Timone, Rue Saint-Pierre, 13385, Marseille cedex 5, France

    D. Raoult & P.-E. Fournier

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  1. A. K. Mishra
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  2. H. Dufour
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  3. P.-H. Roche
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  4. M. Lonjon
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  5. D. Raoult
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  6. P.-E. Fournier
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Correspondence to P.-E. Fournier.

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Mishra, A.K., Dufour, H., Roche, PH. et al. Molecular revolution in the diagnosis of microbial brain abscesses. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 33, 2083–2093 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-014-2166-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-014-2166-z

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