Multiple brain abscesses after professional tooth cleaning: Case report and literature review

Exploring odontogenic brain abscesses: a comprehensive review

INTRODUCTION

Whether in neurology or dentistry, odontogenic brain abscess stands as an ailment demanding undivided attention. The onset of this disease is insidious, with a relatively low incidence rate but a markedly high fatality rate. Moreover, its symptoms lack specificity, easily leading to misdiagnosis, oversight, and treatment delays. Hence, clinicians should maintain heightened vigilance when faced with pathogenic bacteria of dental origin in patients.

AREAS COVERED

This paper encapsulates the latest research findings on the clinical manifestations and essential treatment points of odontogenic brain abscess. It may offer a crucial reference for prompt diagnosis and improved therapeutic approaches.

EXPERT OPINIONS

Odontogenic brain abscess, an infection of the cerebral parenchyma, usually appears in immunocompromised patients with dental ailments or postdental surgeries. The main pathogenic microorganisms include Streptococcus intermedius, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus anginosus, and Millerella. Given the undetectable and nonspecific symptoms in patients, the diagnostic process relies on microbiological methods. Therefore, clinicians should actively investigate and identify the pathogenic microorganisms of odontogenic brain abscess for early detection and selection of appropriate treatment regimens to avoid disease management delays.

Robotic-assisted stereotactic drainage of cerebral abscess and placement of ventriculostomy

BACKGROUND

Robotic surgery has found increasing use in multiple subfields of neurosurgery. While the initial applications of stereotactic robotic surgery were for the placement of electrodes for extra-operative seizure monitoring, this technique has become increasingly relevant in other areas of neurosurgery. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of successful robotic surgery utilization to drain a cerebral abscess and place an external ventricular drain.

CASE REPORT

The authors demonstrate a novel use for stereotactic robotic assistance to drain a cerebral abscess and place ventriculostomy in a 74-year-old female patient who presented with a left basal ganglia Streptococcus intermedius abscess and concomitant ventriculitis. Drainage of a deep-seated abscess and placement of ventriculostomy was successfully performed in this patient without intraoperative difficulties or complications. The total operative time, including registration was 64 minutes and the estimated blood loss was 25 mL. The patient recovered well and was discharged to inpatient rehabilitation on postoperative day 19.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of robotic surgery to drain cerebral abscesses and place ventriculostomies is technically feasible and may potentially decrease operative time and increase accuracy and safety.

Brain abscess from oral microbiota approached by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Brain abscess is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused primarily by microbial infection. Although progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of brain abscesses, the diagnostic timeliness of pathogens needs to be improved.

CASE SUMMARY

We report the case of a 54-year-old male with a brain abscess caused by oral bacteria. The patient recovered well after receiving a combination of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS)-assisted guided medication and surgery.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, mNGS may be widely applied to identify the pathogenic microorganisms of brain abscesses and guide precision medicine.

Brain abscess of odontogenic origin: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study is to investigate and understand the characteristics of odontogenic brain abscess.

METHODS

A case of brain abscess suspected to be caused by odontogenic infection was documented, and a comprehensive analysis and summary of odontogenic brain abscess cases reported in various countries over the past 20 years was conducted.

RESULTS

Based on the analysis and synthesis of both the present and previous reports, we have examined and consolidated the distinctive features of odontogenic brain abscess, the potential transmission pathway of pathogenic bacteria, diagnostic assertions, verification techniques, and crucial considerations during treatment.

CONCLUSION

This investigation contributes to an enhanced comprehension and improved clinical identification of odontogenic brain abscess.

Complications and treatment errors in nonsurgical periodontal therapy

Nonsurgical periodontal therapy can be subject to iatrogenesis, which includes all the complications directly or indirectly related to a treatment. These complications include both operator-dependent harms and errors and the consequences and adverse effects of the therapeutic procedures. The complications arising following nonsurgical periodontal treatment can be categorized as intraoperative and postoperative and can affect both soft and hard tissues at an intra-oral and extraoral level. Soft-tissues damage or damage to teeth and restorations can occur while performing the procedure. In the majority of cases, the risk of bleeding associated with nonsurgical therapy is reported to be low and easily controlled by means of local hemostatic measures, even in medicated subjects. Cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema is not a frequent extraoral intraoperative complication, occurring during the use of air polishing. Moreover, side effects such as pain, fever, and dentine hypersensitivity are frequently reported as a consequence of nonsurgical periodontal therapy and can have a major impact on a patient's perception of the treatment provided. The level of intraoperative pain could be influenced by the types of instruments employed, the characteristics of tips, and the individual level of tolerance of the patient. Unexpected damage to teeth or restorations can also occur as a consequence of procedural errors.

Brain complications from odontogenic infections: A systematic review

PURPOSE

Odontogenic infections can spread through different routes to more remote anatomical areas, such as the brain. Brain abscesses have an incidence of 0.3-1.3 / 100,000 population and only 2-5% are of dental origin. The main objective is to research brain complications derived from odontogenic infections. Secondary objectives were to identify the most common symptoms in brain abscess, to describe the microbiology involved in these infectious processes, report which parts of the brain complex are most commonly affected and report the sequelae of this patients.

METHODS

A systematic review following the PRISMA Guide and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports was carried out in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. The search terms were: Brain infection, brain abscess, oral health oral origin, odont* infect*.

RESULTS

The database search identified a total of 1000 articles. A total of 18 publications were identified after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 38 patients were analyzed. Mean age was 49.64±18.80 years.

CONCLUSION

The most common symptoms of patients with brain abscess are neurological affectations first and then fever and headache second, without necessarily presenting as a symptomatological triad. Microbiological diagnosis is key to determining the origin of the infection. Anaerobic pathogens such as Streptococcus (F. Milleri), Fusobacterium Nucleatum and Porfiromonas Gingivalis families are common bacterial agents. The frontal lobe is the most frequently affected, followed by the parietal and temporal lobe. The most frequent brain complications are neurological disorders. However, most patients with brain abscesses recover without sequelae.

Multiple Brain Abscesses of Odontogenic Origin. May Oral Microbiota Affect Their Development? A Review of the Current Literature

In the last few years, the role of oral microbiota in the setting of oral diseases such as caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer and systemic infections, including rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and brain abscess (BA), has attracted the attention of physicians and researchers. Approximately 5–7% of all BAs have an odontogenic origin, representing an important pathological systemic condition with a high morbidity and mortality. A systematic search of two databases (Pubmed and Ovid EMBASE) was performed for studies published up to 5 January 2021, reporting multiple BAs attributed to an odontogenic origin. According to PRISMA guidelines, we included a total of 16 papers reporting multiple BAs due to odontogenic infections. The aim of this review is to investigate the treatment modality and the clinical outcome of patients with multiple BAs due to odontogenic infections, as well as to identify the most common pathogens involved in this pathological status and their role, in the oral microbiota, in the onset of oral infections. A multidisciplinary approach is essential in the management of multiple BAs. Further studies are required to understand better the role of microbiota in the development of multiple BAs.

Skull Base Sphenoid Bone: A Potential Route of Brain Abscesses Induced by Odontogenic Infection

ABSTRACT

Odontogenic foci are rarely linked with brain abscesses. The lack of an effective approach to match the causative origin with the infection can lead to late medical response of patients. Here we present a case of a 53-year-old man with brain abscesses that was probably caused by odontogenic foci. The imaging examinations clearly showed the periodontitis of mandibular left second molar and the destruction of greater sphenoid wing. Therefore, possible routes of extension through masticator space abscesses were indicated. For early infection of the maxillofacial space caused by potential odontogenic lesions, oral surgeons should eliminate the potentially odontogenic foci and use computerized tomography imaging to determine the existence of bone destruction around the oral cavity such as the skull to prevent further bone defect complications such as brain abscesses.

Brain abscesses and intracranial empyema due to dental pathogens: Case series

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Cerebral infection is rare but life-threatening disease.

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Dental origin for brain abscesses or intra cranial empyema is very rarely reported in the literature.

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Infected maxillary teeth are probably involved in contiguous spread of the infection to the brain.

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There is currently no guidelines in oral surgery to manage patients with cerebral infection from dental origin.

Introduction

Spontaneous brain abscess and intracranial empyema are rare but life-threatening diseases. They can result from potential complications of oral chronic infections. Given the similarity between most of the germs commonly found both in cerebral abscess and in oral cavity and its anatomic proximity, the oral cavity represents a major source of cerebral infections.

Presentation of cases

We report here a series of seven cases of intracranial abscesses and empyema due to dental pathogens that occurred in the neurosurgery department of our institute. Five of those seven cases were then cared in the oral surgery department of our institute.

Discussion

Bacteriological examination of the brain abscesses identified an oral commensal bacterium belonging to streptococci group in six patients (85.7%) and Porphyromonas Gingivalis, a pathogen oral germ involved in periodontal diseases in the seventh patient. For all patients examined, oral status and oral health were poor or moderate with the presence of dental caries, missing teeth and abundant dental plaque. Except the oral cavity, no other front door or infectious site were found.

Conclusion

This rare series of cases highlights the importance of systematically explore the oral cavity in presence of intracranial infection and to radically eradicate the potential infectious foci.