Table 1.
Seventy-three cases of brain abscess caused by Listeria monocytogenes reported in the literature between 1968 and 2017 (we described two other cases).
| N. | Age/sex | Underlying diseases | Blood | CSF/brain abscess | Surgery/type | Antibiotic | Duration of therapy | Outcome | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/M | Myasthenia gravis in immunosuppressive TP | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin; trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | 6 weeks ampicillin + gentamicin for 10 days trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole | Survived | Chalouhi et al., 2013 |
| 2 | 57/F | Cirrhosis; DM | + | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | NR | Died | Matera et al., 2012 |
| 3 | 60/M | DM; rheumatoid arthritis methotrexate | − | + | ND | (a) Amoxicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (c) Linezolid (d) Amoxicillin |
(a) 17 days (b) 20 days (c) 33 days (d) NR |
Survived | Coste et al., 2012 |
| 4 | 52/M | OLT in HCC secondary to hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis; cyclosporine | + | + | Craniotomy with resection of the lesion | Ampicillin + gentamicin + penicillin G | 3 weeks (gentamicin only for 2 weeks) | Survived | Choudhury et al., 2013 |
| 5 | 56/F | Primary biliary cirrhosis; OLT; tacrolimus, azathioprine, prednisone | + | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 8 weeks (gentamicin only for 2 weeks) | Survived | Tseng et al., 2013 |
| 6 | 42/M | None | + | + | Biopsy and drainage | Ampicillin + gentamicin + meropenem | NR | Survived | Beynon et al., 2013 |
| 7 | 47/F | SLE; mycophenolate | − | + | ND | Ampicillin | 6 weeks | Survived | Horta-Baas et al., 2013 |
| 8 | 16/F | SLE; mycophenolate | + | − | External ventricles device | Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + ampicillin + meropenem | 13 weeks trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; ampicillin for 4 weeks; meropenem for 5 weeks (total of 22 weeks) | Survived | Perini et al., 2014 |
| 9 | 81/M | Myelodys plastic syndrome; basal cell skin carcinoma, prostate cancer treated | + | + | Craniotomy with resection of the lesion | Ampicillin | NR | Survived | West et al., 2015 |
| 10 | 52/F | DM, hypothyroidism, prednisolone, azathioprine | + | − | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 6 weeks | Survived | Al-HarabI et al., 2015 |
| 11 | 81/F | DM | NR | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin | 8 weeks | Survived | Dejesus-Alvelo et al., 2015 |
| 12 | 74/F | DM | + | NR | NR | Vancomycin + ampicillin + ceftriaxone | NR | Survived | Bojanowski et al. [17] |
| 13 | 32/F | LAC | + | NR | NR | Ampicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + linezolid | 8 weeks; linezolid for 10 days | Survived | Fervienza et al., 2016 |
| 14 | 72/M | None | − | + | ND | Ampicillin | NR | Survived | Mano et al., 2017 |
| 15 | 52/M | Inflammatory myositis treated with prednisolone and azathioprine | + | − | ND | Ampicillin | 6 weeks | Survived | Onder et al., 2016 |
| 16 | 70/M | Alcoholism | + | + | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin + vancomycin | 3–6 weeks | Died | Cone et al. [13] |
| 17 | 56/M | AIDS | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | Article not available | Survived | Patey et al., 1989 |
| 18 | 49/M | Rheumatic fever, alcoholism, DM | + | − | ND | Penicillin G + streptomycin + tetracycline | NR | Died | Buchner and Schneierson, 1968 |
| 19 | 64/M | DM, aortic valve replacement | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 4 weeks + ampicillin for 2 weeks | Survived | Soto and Sliman, 1992 |
| 20 | 71/M | DM, rheumatic heart disease | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | NR | Died | Eckburg et al. [22] |
| 21 | 56/M | AIDS | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | Article not available | Survived | Patey et al., 1989 |
| 22 | 70/F | Cirrhosis, DM, heart failure | + | ND | ND | Ampicillin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | Article not available | Died | Sivalinga et al., 1992 |
| 23 | 25/F | Ulcerative colitis | NR | NR | ND | NR | NR | Died | Larsson and Linell, 1979 |
| 24 | 87/M | None | + | + | ND | Penicillin G + chloramphenicol | NR | Died | Spilkin et al., 1968 |
| 25 | 63/M | None | + | − | ND | Ampicillin | NR | Died | Kennard et al., 1979 |
| 26 | 24/M | None | + | − | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 6 weeks, gentamicin only for 10 days | Survived | Smiatacz et al., 2006 |
| 27 | 53/F | None | + | − | ND | Minocycline, gentamicin | 2 weeks | Survived | Mrowka et al., 2002 |
| 28 | 63/F | None | − | − | ND | NR | NR | Died | Brun-Buisson et al., 1985 |
| 29 | 43/F | None | − | − | ND | Ampicillin | NR | Died | Brun-Buisson et al., 1985 |
| 30 | 39/M | None | NR | − | ND | NR | NR | Died | Kwantes and Isaac, 1971 |
| 31 | 54/F | None | NR | NR | ND | NR | NR | Died | Larsson and Linell, 1979 |
| 32 | 1+1/4/M | None | NR | NR | ND | Amoxicillin | Article not available | Survived | Mancini et al., 1990 |
| 33 | 70/M | NONE | − | + | Craniectomy and open biopsy | Ampicillin | NR | Survived | Salgado et al., 1996 |
| 34 | 53/M | Cirrhosis, seizure | + | − | + | Penicillin G + erythtomycin | Article not available | Survived | Halkin et al., 1971 |
| 35 | 85/M | DM | + | − | + | Ampicillin | Article not available | Died | Brown et al., 1991 |
| 36 | 43/M | OSAS, alcoholism | + | − | + | NR | Article not available | Survived | Douen and Bourque, 1997 |
| 37 | 0/M | Pronatis | + | − | + | Ampicillin + gentamicin | Article not available | Survived | Banerji and Noya, 1999 |
| 38 | 63/M | MM | + | − | Biopsy | (a) Ampicillin | (a) 5 weeks | Survived | Leiti et al. [20] |
| (b) Linezolid + rifampin | (b) 15 weeks | ||||||||
| 39 | 61/M | DM | NR | NR | Biopsy | Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + chloramphenicol | 3 weeks, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole alone for 20 weeks | Survived | Sjostrom et al., 1995 |
| 40 | 60/M | HIV | NR | + | Craniotomy and intraoperative cultures | Penicillin G + chloramphenicol | NR | Died | Harris et al., 1989 |
| 41 | 68/M | Leukemia | NR | NR | ND | Chloramphenicol | NR | Died | Larsson et al., 1978 |
| 42 | NR/M | None | NR | NR | ND | NR | NR | Died | Pollock et al., 1984 |
| 43 | 2/M | NR | NR | + | Craniotomy with resection of the lesion | NR | NR | Survived | Umenai et al., 1978 |
| 44 | 49/M | Renal transplant | + | + | ND | Chloramphenicol | NR | Died | Crocker and Leicester, 1976 |
| 45 | 16/M | ALL | + | + | ND | Penicillin G + chloramphenicol | NR | Survived | Dykes et al., 1979 |
| 46 | 20/M | ALL | + | + | ND | Ampicillin + chloramphenicol + erythromycin, gentamicin | 8 weeks | Survived | Hutchinson and Heyn, 1983 |
| 47 | 6/F | ALL | + | + | ND | Ampicillin, vancomycin, netilmicin | NR | Survived | Viscoli et al., 1991 |
| 48 | 46/F | Ulcerative colitis | + | + | ND | Ampicillin, gentamicin | 8 weeks, 4 weeks | Survived | Soares-Fernandes et al., 2008 |
| 49 | 58/F | SLE | + | − | ND | Penicillin G + tobramycin | ARTICLE NOT AVAILABLE | Survived | Takano et al., 1999 |
| 50 | 58/F | Immunoblastic lymphadenopathy | + | − | ND | Ampicillin | 8 weeks | Survived | Maezawa et al. [21] |
| 51 | 65/M | DM | + | NR | ND | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 4 weeks | Died | Wu et al., 2010 |
| 52 | 19/M | Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, tetralogy of Fallot | NR | + | ND | Vancomycin + ampicillin | Article not available | Survived | Turner et al., 1995 |
| 53 | 55/M | Renal transplant | + | − | + | Ampicillin | Article not available | Survived | Lechtenberg et al., 1979 |
| 54 | 45/M | Renal transplant | + | − | Craniotomy and drainage | Ampicillin | 10 weeks | Survived | Stam et al., 1982 |
| 55 | 60/F | Rheumatoid arthritis | + | − | Biopsy | Ampicillin, amoxicillin | 8 weeks, 24 months | Survived | Updike et al., 1990 |
| 56 | 66/F | AML, Crohn's disease | + | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin | 4 weeks | Survived | Eckburg et al. [22] |
| 57 | 47/M | AIDS | + | − | Craniotomy | Ampicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin | NR | Died | Cone et al. [13] |
| 58 | 54/F | Sarcoidosis | + | − | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | NR | Died | Ackermann et al., 2001 |
| 59 | 23/F | ITP | + | − | Drainage of the abscess | Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | 12 months | Survived | Treebupachatsaul et al., 2006 |
| 60 | 58/M | MM | + | − | Craniotomy and drainage | (a) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole + gentamicin (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | (a) 12 weeks (gentamicin only 2 weeks) (b) 5 months | Survived | Al-Khatti and Al- Tawfiq, 2010 |
| 61 | 55/M | Glioblastoma multiforme | − | + | Biopsy | Amoxicillin + gentamicin | 12 weeks | Survived | Ganiere et al., 2006 |
| 62 | 51/M | Cardiac transplant | + | + | Stereotactic brain aspiration | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 6 weeks, gentamicin only 2 weeks | Survived | Eckburg et al. [22] |
| 63 | 37/M | Cardiac transplant | + | + | Craniotomy with resection of the lesion | penicillin G | 8 weeks | NR | Eckburg et al. [22] |
| 64 | 56/F | Primary biliary cirrhosis | + | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 6 weeks gentamicin only 2 weeks | Survived | Cone et al. [13] |
| 65 | 50/M | Sarcoidosis | − | + | Craniotomy | Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | Article not available | Survived | Poropatich and Phillips, 1992 |
| 66 | 51/F | Crohn's disease | − | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 12 weeks (gentamicin not reported) | Survived | Stefanovich et al., 2010 |
| 67 | 50/M | Cardiac transplant, DM | − | + | Biopsy and aspiration | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 18 weeks of ampicillin; 14 weeks gentamicin | Survived | Eckburg et al. [22] |
| 68 | 75/M | None | − | ND | + | Ampicillin + gentamicin | Article not available | Survived | Mylonakis et al., 1998 |
| 69 | 77/M | CLL | − | NR | + | Chloramphenicol | Article not available | NR | Cleveland and Gelfand, 1993 |
| 70 | 58/M | CLL | − | + | Biopsy | Ampicillin + gentamicin | 6 weeks | Survived | Dee and Lorber, 1986 |
| 71 | Child | ALL | NR | NR | + | NR | Article not available | Survived | Antunes et al., 1998 |
| 72 | 68/F | Breast cancer | + | ND | Biopsy | Ampicillin, amoxicillin | 10 weeks, 24 weeks | Survived | Limmahakhun and Chayakulkeeree [1] |
| 73 | 47/F | Evans syndrome, SLE, DM | + | − | ND | Ampicillin, amoxicillin | 6 weeks, NR | Survived | Limmahakhun and Chayakulkeeree [1] |
| Case 1 | 62/M | None | + | + | Craniotomy with resection of the lesion | (a) Ampicillin + gentamicin (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | (a) 8 weeks (gentamicin only 4 weeks) (b) 8 weeks | Survived | |
| Case 2 | 72/M | Bullous pemphigoid | + | + | Biopsy | (a) Ampicillin + gentamicin + trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (b) Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole | (a) 5 weeks (b) 3 weeks | Survived | |