Cerebral abscess due to an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava.

BACKGROUND

Causes of brain abscesses are multiple and often unclear. We present the case of a pregnant woman who developed a temporal brain abscess revealed by an epileptic seizure.

METHODS

Perfusion lung scan was performed because she had a mild hypoxemia: absence of contrast into the pulmonary arteries was suggestive of a massive intracardiac shunt or an anomalous drainage of the superior vena cava. Contrast-enhanced echography showed an abnormal drainage of the superior vena cava into the left atrium.

CONCLUSIONS

Although rare, this anomaly can exist in adults. This report emphasizes the necessity of effective cardiologic investigations in case of unexplained brain abscess.