Brain abscess in childhood

Abstract

The author review 10 years' experience in managing brain abscess in childhood: 19 cases were treated in children from 1 to 18 years old. The etiology was rhinogenic in 5 cases, congenital heart disease in 5, hematogenous in 3, traumatic in 3, postoperative in 1, and unknown in 3 cases. Brain abscesses that developed by direct spread were located nearby the source, whereas metastatic abscesses (such as cardiogenic or hematogenous) in most cases spread via the vertebral-basilar system, usually developing in the parieto-occipital regions. Four of the 5 cases with multiple abscesses were cardiogenic and one hematogenous. The most important neurological signs were paresis (10 cases) and cranial nerve involvement (10 cases). Six abscesses were sterile and 6 grew aerobic and 6 anaerobic bacteria. In one case, aerobic as well as anaerobic bacteria were found. Fifteen patients were treated preoperatively with antibiotics. The treatment was operative in 17 cases. In two cases, gravely ill on admission, no surgical treatment was given. The etiology, localization, bacteriology, surgical methods, and results in those cases are discussed.