PET FINDINGS IN A BRAIN-ABSCESS ASSOCIATED WITH A SILENT ATRIAL SEPTAL-DEFECT

Brain abscesses are classical complications of congenital heart diseas e (CHD) in children and adolescents. This association is rarely observ ed in adults. We report a 46-year-old man presenting a fronto-parietal abscess associated with an asymptomatic atrial septal defect. Positro n emission tomography (PET) study revealed high uptake of L-[methyl-C- 11]methionine ([C-11]methionine) and 2-[F-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) around the brain abscess. We suggest (I) to exclude a silent car diac malformation in the presence of a cerebral abscess of unknown sou rce occurring in adults; (2) to consider the diagnosis of brain absces s in cases of high uptake of [C-11]methionine and FDG in relation to a brain lesion.