Brain abscess

Last reviewed: 24 Feb 2023
Last updated: 26 Jan 2021

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • male sex
  • age <30 years
  • meningismus
  • headache
  • cranial nerve palsy
  • positive Kernig or Brudzinski sign
  • fever
  • increased head circumference (infants)
  • bulging fontanelles (infants)
More key diagnostic factors

Other diagnostic factors

  • neurological deficit
  • papilledema
Other diagnostic factors

Risk factors

  • sinusitis
  • otitis media
  • dental procedure/infection
  • meningitis
  • recent neurosurgery
  • congenital heart disease
  • endocarditis
  • diverticular disease
  • hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia or arteriovenous malformation
  • diabetes mellitus
  • HIV or immunocompromise
  • intravenous drug use
  • chronic granulomatous disease
  • hemodialysis
  • birth prematurity
  • cystic fibrosis
More risk factors

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • CBC
  • serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • serum CRP
  • serum PT and PTT
  • blood culture
  • serum toxoplasma titer
  • MRI with contrast
  • CT head with and without contrast
  • ultrasound head (infants)
More 1st investigations to order

Investigations to consider

  • magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
  • lumbar puncture (LP) with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
  • CT chest, abdomen, and pelvis
  • bone scan
  • mammogram
More investigations to consider

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

presumed brain abscess

ACUTE

suspected or confirmed bacterial etiology

confirmed fungal etiology

suspected or confirmed parasitic etiology

cryptogenic brain abscess

Contributors

Authors

Walter A. Hall, MD, MBA

Professor

Department of Neurosurgery

SUNY Upstate Medical University

Syracuse

NY

Disclosures

WAH is an author of a number of references cited in this topic.

Acknowledgements

Dr Walter A. Hall would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Peter D. Kim, a previous contributor to this topic. PDK declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Stephen Haines, MD

Professor and Head

Department of Neurosurgery

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis

MN

Disclosures

SH and WAH were colleagues on a faculty of the University of Minnesota between 1991 and 1997 and again between 2004 and 2006. They have coauthored articles on neurosurgical infection.

Sabrina Ravaglia, MD, PhD

Staff Physician

Department of Neurological Sciences

Institute of Neurology C. Mondino

Pavia

Italy

Disclosures

SR declares that she has no competing interests.

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