Neonatal brain abscess--potential pitfalls of CT scanning

Abstract

CASE REPORT. A 6-day-old preterm infant collapsed on the neonatal unit and was found to have enterobacter meningitis. Cranial ultrasounds had been normal in the first few days of life, but an ultrasound on day 9 of life showed a well-defined lesion, which was thought to be an abscess in view of his underlying illness. This finding could not be confirmed on CT scanning, which showed oedematous frontal lobes with a lack of grey-white differentiation. OUTCOME. The correct diagnosis and treatment were delayed until a follow-up CT scan showed more typical features of an abscess 4 days later.