RESUMEN
Purpose: Brain abscesses often present an aetiological dilemma. Microscopy is insensitive and culture techniques are time consuming. Hence, a new rapid technique in vitro Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ( 1 HMRS) was evaluated for its usefulness in the identification of aetiology of brain abscesses. Materials and Methods: A total of 39 pus specimens from brain abscesses were subjected to in vitro 1 HMRS. These pus specimens were also processed by conventional culture methods. The spectral patterns generated by in vitro 1 HMRS were further correlated with culture results. Results: Pus specimens which showed the presence of anaerobes on culture revealed the presence of multiplet at 0.9 ppm (100%), lactate-lipid at 1.3 ppm (100%), acetate at 1.92 ppm (100%) and succinate at 2.4 ppm (75%). Pus specimens that revealed the presence of facultative anaerobes on culture showed a pattern B, i.e., the presence of lactate-lipid at 1.3 ppm (100%), acetate at 1.92 ppm (88.88%) along with the multiplet at 0.9 ppm (100%). Pattern C was seen in aerobic infection which showed the presence of lactate-lipid at 1.3 ppm (100%) along with the multiplet at 0.9 ppm. Pus from two tuberculous abscesses showed the complete absence of multiplet at 0.9 ppm. Conclusions: We observed in this study that it was possible to differentiate bacterial and tuberculous brain abscesses using in vitro 1 HMRS. Further, it was also possible to distinguish between aerobic and anaerobic brain abscesses on the basis of spectral patterns. In vitro 1 HMRS of fungal and actinomycotic brain abscess are also presented for its unusual spectra.
RESUMEN
The authors described a case of tuberculous brain abscess, located on the sellar area with as episode of tuberculous meningitis on the past history. Tuberculous brain abscess, encapsulated collection of pus, is quite rare. Especially, occurrence around the sellar area is extremely rare. On brain CT scan, tuberculous brain abscess on sellar region was differented from pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, germinoma, pyogenic brain abscess, etc. The history of previous tuberculous meningitis was meaningful for the diagnosis of our case. So, we have reported this case with review of the articles.