Table 1

Results of analyses of specimens from 24 patients with suspected intracranial infection: broad range bacterial PCR, DNA sequencing, bacterial culture, data on operative technique and preoperative antimicrobial treatment, and final diagnosis

No	Initial diagnosis	Operative technique	Intracranial specimen	Bacterial culture result	PCR	Sequencing result	Homology (%)^a	Sequence length (nt)^a	Preoperative antibiotics^b	Final diagnosis
^aThe per cent homology and the length of the overlapping sequence for the best match.
^bAn effective antimicrobial treatment against the recognised microbe in the specimen; duration of preoperative antibiotic treatment is given in parentheses.
^cThe sample was interpreted to contain several species if the electropherogram showed strong signals but multiple overlapping peaks in some locations.
^dNegative result.
^eSequencing failure was assumed if the sequencing signals reported by the instrument were weak.
^fThe patient received ceftriaxone and metronidazole.
CNS, central nervous system; nt, nucleotides; PCR, polymerase chain reaction.
1	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	Str equinus	+	Str intermedius	98.1	423	Yes (14 hours)	Brain abscess
2	Brain abscess or metastasis	Open biopsy	Pus	Streptococcus (sp. viridans group)	+	Streptococcus (sp milleri group)	99.6	458	No	Brain abscess
3	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	Str intermedius/ anginosus	+	Str intermedius/ anginosus	99.4	349	Yes (5 days)	Brain abscess
4	Glioblastoma	Open biopsy	Pus	Peptostreptococcus sp	+	Peptostreptococcus sp	95.7	243	Yes (12 hours)	Brain abscess
5	Postoperative brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	Propionibacterium acnes	+	Propionibacterium acnes	99.7	299	No	Postoperative brain abscess
6	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	Bacteroides gracilis, Peptostreptococcus, Str intermedius	+	Several species^c			No	Brain abscess
7	Postoperative brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	− ^d	+	Staph aureus	98.6	441	Yes (5 days)	Postoperative brain abscess
8	Post-traumatic brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	−	+	Mycoplasma hominis	99.8	499	Yes (10 days)	Post-traumatic brain abscess
9	Postoperative subdural empyema	Puncture	Pus	−	+	Failure^e			No	Postoperative subdural empyema
10	Postoperative subdural empyema	Open biopsy	Pus	Staph aureus	−				Yes (3 days)	Postoperative subdural empyema
11	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	Fusobacterium sp	−				No	Brain abscess
12	Brain abscess	Stereotactic biopsy	Pus	−	−				Yes (60 days)	Aspergillus sp, brain abscess
13	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	−	−				Yes^f (11 days)	Brain abscess
14	Brain abscess	Puncture	Pus	−	−				Yes^f (7 days)	Brain abscess
15	Brain tumour or infection	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	−	−				No	Demyelination
16	CNS infection	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	Not done	−				No	Unspecific gliosis
17	CNS infection	Stereotactic biopsy	Cysta liquid	−	−				Yes (13 days)	Parvocellular carcinoma
18	Unclear progressive brain disease	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	−	−				Yes (one dose)	Glioblastoma
19	Unclear brain lesion	Puncture	Brain tissue	−	−				Yes (5 days)	Glioblastoma
20	Brain tumour or abscess	Open biopsy	Brain tissue	Not done	−				Yes (one dose)	Glioblastoma
21	Brain tumour or abscess	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	Propionibacterium sp	−				No	Astrocytoma
22	Brain tumour or abscess	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	−	−				No	Lymphoma
23	Brain abscess	Stereotactic biopsy	Brain tissue	−	−				Yes (4 days)	Lymphoma
24	Tumour	Open biopsy	Mucous liquid	−	−				Yes (one dose)	Mucocele