Citrobacter freundii brain abscess in a preterm infant: a case report and literature review

Abstract

Intracranial abscesses are serious conditions but uncommon in preterm neonates. Citrobacter species are an uncommon cause of bacterial meningitis in neonates, but are associated with brain abscesses in a majority of cases. We report a preterm infant who developed Citrobacter freundii meningitis with brain abscess, who was successfully treated with antibiotics and surgical drainage. The infant had normal neurological outcome at follow-up. We report this case to highlight the importance of serial neuroimaging in the diagnosis of cerebral abscess in infants with Citrobacter meningitis.