BRAIN ABSCESSES DUE TO HAEMOPHILUS-APHROP HILUS - 2 NEW CASES

Haemophilus aphrophilus, a normal component of the upper respiratory t ract of vertebrates is rarely considered as a human pathogen. However it can be implicated in endocarditis and brain abscesses (16%). Brain localization can be explained by different factors : cerebral tissue a ffinity, increase of virulence due to an association with a second bac teria, secondary localization from endocarditis (rheumatic and congeni tal heart diseases) or ORL infection, immune-depression and exceptiona lly pets contact. It can be difficult to distinguish H, aphrophilus fr om four other fastidious bacteria : H. paraphrophilus, H. actinomycete mcomitans, Eikenella corrodens and Cardiobacterium hominis. Two new ca ses of brain abscesses due to H. aphrophilus are reported in this stud y. Both patients recovered after surgery and antimicrobial therapy. Th is bacterium must be searched in community-acquired brain abscesses. I ts isolation is facilited by the improvement of bacteriological techni cs.