Antibiotic and Surgical Treatment of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt-Related Soft Tissue Abscess Caused by Brucella melitensis

We report on the antibiotic and surgical treatment of a woman who presented with an abscess caused by Brucella melitensis related to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which is an atypical presentation of brucellosis. There were no signs of neurologic, osteoarticular, or peritoneal infection. The abscess...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joost Boeckmans, Koen Magerman, Steven Vanvolsem, Reinoud Cartuyvels, Luc Waumans, Peter Messiaen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American College of Physicians 2022-06-01
Series:Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
Online Access:https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2022.0064
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Summary:We report on the antibiotic and surgical treatment of a woman who presented with an abscess caused by Brucella melitensis related to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which is an atypical presentation of brucellosis. There were no signs of neurologic, osteoarticular, or peritoneal infection. The abscess initially healed after ultrasound-guided drainage and antibiotic treatment with gentamycin/doxycycline for 5 days, followed by doxycycline/ciprofloxacin for 8 weeks, allowing shunt preservation. Three months after treatment ended, however, a relapse occurred that required partial surgical shunt revision and readministration of antibiotics. Seven months after surgery and 12 months after the initial diagnosis, the patient's remission status has been maintained.
ISSN:2767-7664