Abstract
Brain abscesses are rare in infants and their clinical presentation is specific for this age group. Seven cases of brain abscess in infants aged 2–11 months are reported. The underlying cause was meningitis in four, sepsis in two, and unknown in one. Gram-negative organisms were cultured in 6 patients. The abscess size was 5 cm or more in five cases; in four there were multiple lesions. Two abscesses were aspirated and irrigated; four particularly large lesions were drained and repeatedly aspirated and irrigated. One craniotomy was done. There were two deaths, one in the postoperative period and the other 6 months after discharge. Follow-up information is available for four children, showing a good result in only one of them. Formation of an abscess should be diagnosed early, and close ultrasound monitoring or CT scanning in infants with bacterial meningitis and sepsis is essential. The prognosis in cases in which large/multiple abscesses develop is poor.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cheek WR, Laurent JP (1989) Suppurative cranial and intracranial infections. In: McLaurin RL, Venes JL, Schut L, Epstein F (eds) Pediatric neurosurgery: surgery of developing nervous system. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 479–489
Gupta SK, Mohanty S, Tandon SC, Asthana S (1990) Brain abscess: with special reference to infection by pseudomonas. Br J Neurosurg 4:279–286
Nagle RC, Taekman MS, Shallat RF, Cohen RA (1986) Brain abscess aspiration in nursery with ultrasound guidance. Case report. J Neurosurg 65:557–559
Obana WG, Cogen PH, Callen PW, Edwards MSB (1991) Ultrasound-guided aspiration of a neonatal brain abscess. Child's Nerv Syst 7:272–273
Stephanov S (1988) Surgical treatment of brain abscess. Neurosurgery 22:724–730
Sutton DL, Ouvrier RA (1983) Cerebral abscess in the under 6 months age group. Arch Dis Child 58:901–905
Theophilo F, Markakis E, Theophilo L, Dietz H (1985) Brain abscess in childhood. Child's Nerv Syst 1:324–328
Wispelwey B, Scheld WM (1987) Brain abscess. Clin Neuropharmacol 10:483–510
Wong TT, Lee LS, Wang HS, Shen EY, Jaw WC, Chiang CH, Chi CS, Hung KL, Liou WY, Shen YZ (1989) Brain abscesses in children — a cooperative study of 83 cases. Child's Nerv Syst 5:19–24
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krajewski, R., Stelmasiak, Z. Brain abscess in infants. Child's Nerv Syst 8, 279–280 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300796
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00300796