-Citrobacter diversus is closely related to brain abscess in newborn infants. We describe a case of brain abscess by this bacteria in a newborn infant and his clinical and cranial computed tomographic evaluation until the fourth month of life and discuss therapeutic management of this patient.KEY WORDS: infancy, brain abscess, Citrobacter diversus.Abscesso cerebral por Citrobacter diversus na infância: relato de caso RESUMO -Citrobacter diversus é a bactéria mais associada a abscessos cerebrais durante o período neonatal. Descrevemos um caso de abscesso cerebral por esta bactéria em um recém-nascido e sua evolução clínica e tomográfica até o quarto mês de vida. São discutidos aspectos diagnósticos e terapêuticos desta grave infecção do recém-nascido.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: infância, abscesso cerebral, Citrobacter diversus.Although not common in the neonatal period, brain abscesses have a high mortality rate and appear as complication of neonatal meningitis in 1.3 to 4.0% of patients. In neonates the progression of the disease may be insidious, with clinical manifestations resembling other neurological pathologies of the neonatal period, such as congenital hydrocephalus. The high frequency and death rates of brain abscesses caused by Citrobacter diversus makes clear the need for an early diagnosis and treatment.In this article we discuss the case of an infant with a brain abscess by Citrobacter diversus, his outcome, and a review of the literature on this pathology.
CASEGRT, 47 days old, male, admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in 07/27/97. Obstetrical history: full term infant, uncomplicated gestation, delivered by elective cesarean section with unruptured membranes, Apgar scores of 9 (1 st minute) and 9 (5 th minute). Personal history: birth weight 3,420 g, height 48 cm, head circumference (HC) 34 cm, thoracic circumference 33 cm; discharged from the maternity hospital after 3 days.Admitted in a pediatric clinic at the age of 46 days, with a one day history of poor feeding, nausea, irritability, lethargy and fever (37.7 o C), and signs of respiratory distress, raised anterior fontanel and enlarged HC (42.3 cm). A complete blood count was done with hemoglobin level 7,0 g/dl, hematocrit 21%, white blood cell count (WBC) 14,900/mm 3 with 80% neutrophils (9% band cells) in the differential. A spinal tap was performed