Abscess in the Splenium of the Corpus Callosum Treated with Direct Drainage via an Occipital Interhemispheric Approach

Abstract

Lesions in the corpus callosum typically represent malignant tumors such as glioblastoma or lymphoma, because of its compact structure comprising tightly packed white-matter tracts. Brain abscess is rarely seen in the corpus callosum. To the best of our knowledge, solitary bacterial abscess confined to the splenium of the corpus callosum has not been reported previously. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman with rapidly progressing disturbance of consciousness following 1 week of antibiotic treatment for bacterial meningitis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a ring-enhancing round mass located in the splenium of the corpus callosum on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted imaging, also showing a bright signal on diffusion-weighted imaging. The patient underwent occipital craniotomy and direct drainage of the lesion in the splenium through the interhemispheric fissure and achieved complete recovery. Brain abscess should be considered among the differential diagnoses for lesions in the splenium of the corpus callosum. An occipital interhemispheric approach to the splenium might be an important option in cases of brain abscess.