1H MRS of human brain abscesses in vivo and in vitro

• Published in: Magnetic resonance in medicine Vol. 34; no. 4; p. 508
• Main Authors: Rémy, C, Grand, S, Laï, E S, Belle, V, Hoffmann, D, Berger, F, Estève, F, Ziegler, A, Le Bas, J F, Benabid, A L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1995
• Subjects: Acetates - analysis; Actinomycosis - diagnosis; Actinomycosis - metabolism; Adult; Alanine - analysis; Amino Acids - analysis; Brain Abscess - diagnosis; Brain Abscess - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Diagnosis, Differential; Eikenella corrodens; Fatty Acids - analysis; Female; Fusobacterium Infections - diagnosis; Fusobacterium Infections - metabolism; Fusobacterium nucleatum; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - diagnosis; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - metabolism; Humans; Hydrogen; In Vitro Techniques; Lactates - analysis; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Streptococcal Infections - diagnosis; Streptococcal Infections - metabolism; Succinates - analysis; Suppuration
• ISSN: 0740-3194
• DOI: 10.1002/mrm.1910340404

Five patients, each with a brain abscess, were examined by means of 1H MR spectroscopic imaging in vivo. The aspirated pus was analyzed in vitro by means of 1D and 2D COSY 1H MRS. In addition to resonance lines from compounds (lactate, alanine and lipids) often found in the spectra from intracranial tumors, resonance lines were detected from a number of markers of infectious involvement (acetate, succinate, and various amino acids). These results suggest that 1H MRS in vivo might contribute in establishing noninvasively a differential diagnosis between brain abscess and tumor.