METASTATIC MYCOTIC ABSCESSES OF THE BRAIN

Abstract

METASTATIC mycotic infections of the brain are not common. At the Mayo Clinic, in a thirty-one year period (1915 through 1945), the lesions of 104 patients with metastatic brain abscesses were studied at necropsy. Brain abscesses due to mycotic organisms were found in only 5 of these cases. Candida (Monilia) albicans was found by culture to be the infecting organism in 1 of these cases. Coccidioides immitis was established histologically in 1 case reported by Beaver and Furrer¹ in 1933. In the case reported by Craig and Dockerty² in 1941 these authors were able to culture Coccidiodes immitis from the abscess. In the 2 remaining cases the infections were due to Actinomyces. In view of the fact that the clinical histories and pathologic findings in all these cases were so similar, only 2 of the cases will be reported subsequently in this paper. Infections and abscesses due to