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Brain scanning in the diagnosis of intracranial abscess

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Summary

Radioisotope brain scanning was found to give positive results in 16 of the 18 patients with brain abscess, and in all 6 patients with subdural abscess. Abnormal uptake was also seen in patients with cerebritis, meningitis, cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis, and abscess of the scalp. A study based on tissue-counting for radioactive content revealed a high uptake in the capsule of an abscess and a very small amount of tracer in the purulent material in the first several hours after the radiopharmaceutical injection.

Among the scans in 180 patients with brain abscess reported in the literature, 163 (90.6%) were positive. The result of brain scanning in all 15 reported subdural abscesses were positive.

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Author notes

  1. Ch. Suwanwela, V. Poshyachinda & M. Poshyachinda

    Present address: Chulalongkorn Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

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    1. Ch. Suwanwela
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    2. V. Poshyachinda
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    3. M. Poshyachinda
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    Suwanwela, C., Poshyachinda, V. & Poshyachinda, M. Brain scanning in the diagnosis of intracranial abscess. Acta neurochir 25, 165–175 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01809098

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