A case report of Mycobacterium tuberculosis brain abscess identified in Payvand Specialty Clinical Laboratory

BACKGROUND AND ABJECTIVEA brain abscess is a pus-filled swelling in the brain. Tuberculosis (TB) causes by Mycobacterium tuberclosis (Mt) an acid fast bacterium which usually attack to lungs, but can invade any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Opium addiction can cause life-threatening health problems such as brain hypoxia, coma and death. Herein, a case of brain abscess caused by Mt who referred to Payvand Specialty Clinical Laboratory is reporting.MATERIALS AND METHODSA sample of punctual fluid of brain abscess of a ۵۷ years old man with opium addiction from a private hospital of Tehran were received to Payvand Specialty Clinical Laboratory during April ۲۰۲۳. In his history recording signs such as: fever, weight loose, sweating and cough were registered. Based on physician request direct smear and culture was done for acid fast bacilli. Direct smear evaluation was done by Rodamin florescent staining. Also, sample inoculated in a Lowenstein-Jensen media and incubated at ۳۷°C for a month. Every other week the tube checked for colony formation.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONNo growth of acid fast bacilli was detected in the first and second weeks. From the third week, the colonies started to grow and after fourth week a heavy growth of colonies were detected. In direct smear existence of acid fast bacilli reported as ۳+ (>۵۰ AFB) per field on average by florescent staining method.CONCLUSIONBased on the study of Shamaei et al (۲۰۰۹) from Masih Daneshvari hospital Tehran, Iran the addiction rate among TB positive patients was to: opium ۲۰.۳%, heroin and opium together ۲.۸% and all three opium, heroin and crack ۱.۴%. Similarly, in Mirahmadizadeh (۲۰۲۲) study, the mortality rate of COVID-۱۹ among opium addicted patients was higher than normal population. Also in Salehi study ۲۰۲۳ from Imam Khomeini hospital Tehran, ۲۲% of pulmonary tuberculosis and ۳۰% of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis patients were registered as opium addicted. Based on above studies, opium is common drug addiction which reported in Tehran, Iran. So, it seems drug addiction is a risk factor which can causes life threatening condition such as brain abscess of Mt infection.

Keywords:

Mycobacterium tuberclosis , opium , brain abscess