Cerebral fungal infections as a cause of stroke in cardiac surgery patients: Be Cautious!!

Neurological dysfunction in the postoperative period following cardiac surgery is most commonly attributed to thromboembolism or an intracranial bleed. Fungal infection is a rare cause of cerebral infarction and hemiparesis in an otherwise healthy patient. Cerebral Aspergillus infections are common in immunocompromised patients and is not considered as the first-line differential diagnosis of cerebral infarcts in a cardiac surgery patient. The infection is usually a secondary from lung, paranasal sinuses, or heart and forms microthrombi in large or medium sized cerebral vessels.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research