BRAIN-ABSCESS DUE TO GORDONA-TERRAE IN AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED CHILD - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF INFECTIONS CAUSED BY G-TERRAE

A brain abscess complicated antineoplastic chemotherapy for a primary cerebral rhabdoid tumor in an immunocompromised boy. Culture of purule nt exudate obtained by surgical puncture of an intracranial hematoma y ielded a gram-positive microorganism initially identified as a Rhodoco ccus species by conventional biochemical analysis; however, the isolat e was subsequently identified as Gordona terrae by ribosomal DNA analy sis. To our knowledge, this is the third case of human infection cause d by G. terrae and the first case of a brain abscess due to this organ ism. As this case demonstrates, this species may cause opportunistic i nvasive infection in severely immunocompromised patients. The identity of clinical isolates believed to be G. terrae should be confirmed by molecular methods until better species-specific phenotypic markers bec ome available.