Brain Abscesses

Abstract

Brain abscess is a focal purulent collection in the cerebrum, representing a serious infection of the central nervous system. The brain parenchyma may be infected by various microorganisms, principally bacteria. Infective pathogens may reach the brain in various ways, but sometimes the origin remains unknown. Most of the clinical signs are due not to the systemic manifestations of infection but to the size and location of a space-occupying lesion within the brain parenchyma and the virulence of the pathogen. Biological findings must always be interpreted in combination with clinical and imaging data. CT scans and MRI studies are important tools in the initial diagnosis and in the monitoring of treatment results. The spectrum of treatment goes from antibiotherapy alone to its combination with simple stereotactic drainage to invasive neurosurgical procedures. At present, good clinical recovery is predictable for many patients, and the mortality rate is increasingly low, but the prognosis depends on the patient’s general health; the number, size, and location of the suppurative collections; the delay in diagnosis; and the response to therapy.