Case Reports in Infectious Diseases

Case Report

Listeria monocytogenes Brain Abscess: Controversial Issues for the Treatment—Two Cases and Literature Review

Table 1

Seventy-three cases of brain abscess caused by Listeria monocytogenes reported in the literature between 1968 and 2017 (we described two other cases).


N.	Age/sex	Underlying diseases	Blood	CSF/brain abscess	Surgery/type	Antibiotic	Duration of therapy	Outcome	References

1	70/M	Myasthenia gravis in immunosuppressive TP	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin; trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	6 weeks ampicillin + gentamicin for 10 days trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole	Survived	Chalouhi et al., 2013
2	57/F	Cirrhosis; DM	+	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	NR	Died	Matera et al., 2012
3	60/M	DM; rheumatoid arthritis methotrexate	−	+	ND	(a) Amoxicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (c) Linezolid (d) Amoxicillin	(a) 17 days (b) 20 days (c) 33 days (d) NR	Survived	Coste et al., 2012
4	52/M	OLT in HCC secondary to hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis; cyclosporine	+	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion	Ampicillin + gentamicin + penicillin G	3 weeks (gentamicin only for 2 weeks)	Survived	Choudhury et al., 2013
5	56/F	Primary biliary cirrhosis; OLT; tacrolimus, azathioprine, prednisone	+	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	8 weeks (gentamicin only for 2 weeks)	Survived	Tseng et al., 2013
6	42/M	None	+	+	Biopsy and drainage	Ampicillin + gentamicin + meropenem	NR	Survived	Beynon et al., 2013
7	47/F	SLE; mycophenolate	−	+	ND	Ampicillin	6 weeks	Survived	Horta-Baas et al., 2013
8	16/F	SLE; mycophenolate	+	−	External ventricles device	Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + ampicillin + meropenem	13 weeks trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; ampicillin for 4 weeks; meropenem for 5 weeks (total of 22 weeks)	Survived	Perini et al., 2014
9	81/M	Myelodys plastic syndrome; basal cell skin carcinoma, prostate cancer treated	+	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion	Ampicillin	NR	Survived	West et al., 2015
10	52/F	DM, hypothyroidism, prednisolone, azathioprine	+	−	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	6 weeks	Survived	Al-HarabI et al., 2015
11	81/F	DM	NR	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin	8 weeks	Survived	Dejesus-Alvelo et al., 2015
12	74/F	DM	+	NR	NR	Vancomycin + ampicillin + ceftriaxone	NR	Survived	Bojanowski et al. [17]
13	32/F	LAC	+	NR	NR	Ampicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + linezolid	8 weeks; linezolid for 10 days	Survived	Fervienza et al., 2016
14	72/M	None	−	+	ND	Ampicillin	NR	Survived	Mano et al., 2017
15	52/M	Inflammatory myositis treated with prednisolone and azathioprine	+	−	ND	Ampicillin	6 weeks	Survived	Onder et al., 2016
16	70/M	Alcoholism	+	+	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin + vancomycin	3–6 weeks	Died	Cone et al. [13]
17	56/M	AIDS	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	Article not available	Survived	Patey et al., 1989
18	49/M	Rheumatic fever, alcoholism, DM	+	−	ND	Penicillin G + streptomycin + tetracycline	NR	Died	Buchner and Schneierson, 1968
19	64/M	DM, aortic valve replacement	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	4 weeks + ampicillin for 2 weeks	Survived	Soto and Sliman, 1992
20	71/M	DM, rheumatic heart disease	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	NR	Died	Eckburg et al. [22]
21	56/M	AIDS	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	Article not available	Survived	Patey et al., 1989
22	70/F	Cirrhosis, DM, heart failure	+	ND	ND	Ampicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	Article not available	Died	Sivalinga et al., 1992
23	25/F	Ulcerative colitis	NR	NR	ND	NR	NR	Died	Larsson and Linell, 1979
24	87/M	None	+	+	ND	Penicillin G + chloramphenicol	NR	Died	Spilkin et al., 1968
25	63/M	None	+	−	ND	Ampicillin	NR	Died	Kennard et al., 1979
26	24/M	None	+	−	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	6 weeks, gentamicin only for 10 days	Survived	Smiatacz et al., 2006
27	53/F	None	+	−	ND	Minocycline, gentamicin	2 weeks	Survived	Mrowka et al., 2002
28	63/F	None	−	−	ND	NR	NR	Died	Brun-Buisson et al., 1985
29	43/F	None	−	−	ND	Ampicillin	NR	Died	Brun-Buisson et al., 1985
30	39/M	None	NR	−	ND	NR	NR	Died	Kwantes and Isaac, 1971
31	54/F	None	NR	NR	ND	NR	NR	Died	Larsson and Linell, 1979
32	1+1/4/M	None	NR	NR	ND	Amoxicillin	Article not available	Survived	Mancini et al., 1990
33	70/M	NONE	−	+	Craniectomy and open biopsy	Ampicillin	NR	Survived	Salgado et al., 1996
34	53/M	Cirrhosis, seizure	+	−	+	Penicillin G + erythtomycin	Article not available	Survived	Halkin et al., 1971
35	85/M	DM	+	−	+	Ampicillin	Article not available	Died	Brown et al., 1991
36	43/M	OSAS, alcoholism	+	−	+	NR	Article not available	Survived	Douen and Bourque, 1997
37	0/M	Pronatis	+	−	+	Ampicillin + gentamicin	Article not available	Survived	Banerji and Noya, 1999
38	63/M	MM	+	−	Biopsy	(a) Ampicillin	(a) 5 weeks	Survived	Leiti et al. [20]
38	63/M	MM	+	−	Biopsy	(b) Linezolid + rifampin	(b) 15 weeks	Survived	Leiti et al. [20]
39	61/M	DM	NR	NR	Biopsy	Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + chloramphenicol	3 weeks, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole alone for 20 weeks	Survived	Sjostrom et al., 1995
40	60/M	HIV	NR	+	Craniotomy and intraoperative cultures	Penicillin G + chloramphenicol	NR	Died	Harris et al., 1989
41	68/M	Leukemia	NR	NR	ND	Chloramphenicol	NR	Died	Larsson et al., 1978
42	NR/M	None	NR	NR	ND	NR	NR	Died	Pollock et al., 1984
43	2/M	NR	NR	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion	NR	NR	Survived	Umenai et al., 1978
44	49/M	Renal transplant	+	+	ND	Chloramphenicol	NR	Died	Crocker and Leicester, 1976
45	16/M	ALL	+	+	ND	Penicillin G + chloramphenicol	NR	Survived	Dykes et al., 1979
46	20/M	ALL	+	+	ND	Ampicillin + chloramphenicol + erythromycin, gentamicin	8 weeks	Survived	Hutchinson and Heyn, 1983
47	6/F	ALL	+	+	ND	Ampicillin, vancomycin, netilmicin	NR	Survived	Viscoli et al., 1991
48	46/F	Ulcerative colitis	+	+	ND	Ampicillin, gentamicin	8 weeks, 4 weeks	Survived	Soares-Fernandes et al., 2008
49	58/F	SLE	+	−	ND	Penicillin G + tobramycin	ARTICLE NOT AVAILABLE	Survived	Takano et al., 1999
50	58/F	Immunoblastic lymphadenopathy	+	−	ND	Ampicillin	8 weeks	Survived	Maezawa et al. [21]
51	65/M	DM	+	NR	ND	Ampicillin + gentamicin	4 weeks	Died	Wu et al., 2010
52	19/M	Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, tetralogy of Fallot	NR	+	ND	Vancomycin + ampicillin	Article not available	Survived	Turner et al., 1995
53	55/M	Renal transplant	+	−	+	Ampicillin	Article not available	Survived	Lechtenberg et al., 1979
54	45/M	Renal transplant	+	−	Craniotomy and drainage	Ampicillin	10 weeks	Survived	Stam et al., 1982
55	60/F	Rheumatoid arthritis	+	−	Biopsy	Ampicillin, amoxicillin	8 weeks, 24 months	Survived	Updike et al., 1990
56	66/F	AML, Crohn’s disease	+	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin	4 weeks	Survived	Eckburg et al. [22]
57	47/M	AIDS	+	−	Craniotomy	Ampicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin	NR	Died	Cone et al. [13]
58	54/F	Sarcoidosis	+	−	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	NR	Died	Ackermann et al., 2001
59	23/F	ITP	+	−	Drainage of the abscess	Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	12 months	Survived	Treebupachatsaul et al., 2006
60	58/M	MM	+	−	Craniotomy and drainage	(a) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + gentamicin (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	(a) 12 weeks (gentamicin only 2 weeks) (b) 5 months	Survived	Al-Khatti and Al- Tawfiq, 2010
60	58/M	MM	+	−	Craniotomy and drainage			Survived	Al-Khatti and Al- Tawfiq, 2010
61	55/M	Glioblastoma multiforme	−	+	Biopsy	Amoxicillin + gentamicin	12 weeks	Survived	Ganiere et al., 2006
62	51/M	Cardiac transplant	+	+	Stereotactic brain aspiration	Ampicillin + gentamicin	6 weeks, gentamicin only 2 weeks	Survived	Eckburg et al. [22]
63	37/M	Cardiac transplant	+	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion	penicillin G	8 weeks	NR	Eckburg et al. [22]
64	56/F	Primary biliary cirrhosis	+	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	6 weeks gentamicin only 2 weeks	Survived	Cone et al. [13]
65	50/M	Sarcoidosis	−	+	Craniotomy	Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	Article not available	Survived	Poropatich and Phillips, 1992
66	51/F	Crohn’s disease	−	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	12 weeks (gentamicin not reported)	Survived	Stefanovich et al., 2010
67	50/M	Cardiac transplant, DM	−	+	Biopsy and aspiration	Ampicillin + gentamicin	18 weeks of ampicillin; 14 weeks gentamicin	Survived	Eckburg et al. [22]
68	75/M	None	−	ND	+	Ampicillin + gentamicin	Article not available	Survived	Mylonakis et al., 1998
69	77/M	CLL	−	NR	+	Chloramphenicol	Article not available	NR	Cleveland and Gelfand, 1993
70	58/M	CLL	−	+	Biopsy	Ampicillin + gentamicin	6 weeks	Survived	Dee and Lorber, 1986
71	Child	ALL	NR	NR	+	NR	Article not available	Survived	Antunes et al., 1998
72	68/F	Breast cancer	+	ND	Biopsy	Ampicillin, amoxicillin	10 weeks, 24 weeks	Survived	Limmahakhun and Chayakulkeeree [1]
73	47/F	Evans syndrome, SLE, DM	+	−	ND	Ampicillin, amoxicillin	6 weeks, NR	Survived	Limmahakhun and Chayakulkeeree [1]
Case 1	62/M	None	+	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion	(a) Ampicillin + gentamicin (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	(a) 8 weeks (gentamicin only 4 weeks) (b) 8 weeks	Survived
Case 1	62/M	None	+	+	Craniotomy with resection of the lesion			Survived
Case 2	72/M	Bullous pemphigoid	+	+	Biopsy	(a) Ampicillin + gentamicin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole	(a) 5 weeks (b) 3 weeks	Survived
Case 2	72/M	Bullous pemphigoid	+	+	Biopsy			Survived