In vivo proton MR spectroscopy of untreated and treated brain abscesses

MR spectroscopy was performed in three patients with brain abscesses. In tw o patients, MR spectroscopy revealed end-products of bacterial breakdown (a cetate, succinate, amino acids, lactate) in the abscess cysts. In one of th ese, the spectrum was reversed to a single lactate peak after treatment. In the third patient, MR spectroscopy was performed only after treatment and showed a single nonspecific lactate peak. MR spectroscopy is a potential to ol for noninvasive diagnosis of brain abscess and might be useful for evalu ating changes after treatment.