Focal brain lesions as a consequence of an obscure neurosurgical treatment in a drug-addicted patient

Abstract

Introduction Infectious or non-infectious noxae may occur in drug-addicted patients who have clinical presentation of meningeal syndrome with a spectrum of possible complications, such as a diffuse or focal brain lesions. The objective of this report is to present a rare case of a drug-addicted male patient, initially suspected of mycosis of the central nervous system, but computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the signs of an invasive neurosurgical operation that the patient underwent during the treatment of drug addiction. Case outline A 37-year-old male patient was hospitalized at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, with a meningeal syndrome, initially suspected of mycosis of the central nervous system. He was diagnosed at the Center for Radiology. Neuroimaging – CT and MRI were used in order to prove or disprove the presence of brain infection. These diagnostic procedures ruled out the presence of brain infection, but opened questions about the type of neurosurgical treatment performed out of legal institution, due to the presence of craniotomy and focal glial brain lesions in the frontal lobes. Conclusion In drug-addicted patients, meningeal syndrome can be connected with diffuse or focal brain infections. Together with laboratory and clinical analysis, imaging methods contribute to the decision making and optimal treatment of patients. In our case, CT and MRI made a significant contribution in the detection of the focal brain lesions and clarification of their etiology.