Brain abscess - A rare complication of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

backgroundBrain abscess is a neurosurgical emergency, which can arise through direct bacterial seeding or hematogenous spread. Rarely, brain abscess formation has been reported following ischemic stroke. An increasingly utilized therapy for stroke is mechanical thrombectomy, and within this report, we present a case of brain abscess formation following this procedure. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 78-year-old female presented to our center with a right total anterior circulation stroke (TACS) secondary to terminal internal carotid artery occlusion. An emergent mechanical thrombectomy was performed and the patient's initial postoperative recovery was good. In the 3

conclusionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported UK case of brain abscess following mechanical thrombectomy for stroke. Endovascular interventions can lead to increased incidence of ischemia-reperfusion injury in stroke with increased blood-brain barrier damage and risk of microbial seeding. This case highlights the need for rigorous asepsis and proactive treatment of systemic infections in the acute phase following endovascular treatment and consideration of brain abscess in all patients who present with new-onset confusion and unexplained fever following stroke.