Cerebral abscess: a rare complication of flexible bronchoscopy.

Infectious complications associated with flexible bronchoscopy are rare and mostly because of inadequate cleaning techniques. Transient bacteremia after flexible bronchoscopy has been observed; however, a clinically significant illness has been reported infrequently. We report the case of a 53-year-old man with poorly controlled diabetes who developed cerebral abscess 28 days after a flexible bronchoscopy was performed to evaluate a pneumonic consolidation of the left upper lobe of the lung. Streptococcus viridians was cultured from the cerebral abscess and the bronchoscopy specimens as well. Asymptomatic bacteremia from bronchoscopic procedures might have caused distant spread. Antibiotic treatment in susceptible patients for bacteremia may prevent serious infectious complications after flexible bronchoscopic procedures for infectious etiology.