Case Report Intracranial aspergillus fumigatus infection complicated with cavernous hemangioma: case report and literature review

The aim of this study was to report a rare case of Aspergillus fumigatus infection complicated with cavernous hemangioma in the central nervous system of a patient with normal immune function and to investigate its causes. A 60-year-old male patient was admitted three years ago due to meningioma-induced convulsions. In addition to meningioma, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results also suggested the presence of cystic and solid lesions in the left temporal lobe, which was considered to be a brain abscess due to the infection. After antibiotic treatment, the patient underwent meningioma resection, after which no more convulsions occurred. It was recommended that the patient receive treatment on the abscess in the left temporal lobe, but the patient did not consent. He was discharged with follow-up. Recently, the patient returned for treatment due to intermittent headaches with weakness in the right lower extremity for 10 days. MRI results revealed that the lesion in the left temporal lobe had expanded and was associated with abnormality in the midline. Surgical lumpectomy was performed, and the postoperative pathological examination confirmed the brain abscess to be an Aspergillus fumigatus infection complicated with cavernous hemangioma, which indirectly confirmed that the lesion in the temporal lobe three years ago was from the Aspergillus fumigatus infection. On the 7th postoperative day, the patient died due to severe pneumonia. Because the intracranial Aspergillus fumigatus infection in the patient had lasted for three years, with no cavernous hemangioma present at the first assessment but with a lesion evident three years later, the hemangioma is considered to be related to the Aspergillus fumigatus infection.