Brain abscess caused by Micrococcus luteus in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: case-based review

Central nervous system infections, which are rarely seen in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), have considerably high mortality but they are difficult to distinguish from neuropsychiatric manifestation of lupus. This article reports the case of a patient with SLE with brain abscess which developed during immunosuppressive therapy for lupus nephritis. The patient completely recovered without neurological sequelae by open surgical drainage and 12-week antibiotic therapy. It is recommended that CNS infections must be excluded in patients with SLE, particularly who are receiving immunosuppressive therapy.