Everyone Healthy Library
Brain Abscess
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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Connected health information
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Condition overview
Attributes
Critical careis Yes
Linked signs and symptoms
23Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
- Behaviour: Attention Deficit (Reduced Ability to Focus)
- Behaviour: Decreased Spontaneity
- Behaviour: Personality Changes
- Brain or Intracranial Pressure Increase
- Chills
- Drowsiness
- Eye Inner or Intraocular Pressure Increased (Papiloedema)
- Eye: Vision Impairment
- Eyes Uncontrollable Constant Movement (Nystagmus)
- Fever (Raised Body Temperature)
- Headache (Cephalgia)
- Mind: Confusion
- Mind: Decreased Mental Response
- Movement: Muscle Coordination Loss (Ataxia)
- Nausea
- Neck Stiff
- Pain Neck
- Partial Paralysis of One Side of The Body (Hemiparesis)
- Seizures
- Speech Articulation Problem (Dysarthria)
- Speech Slurred
- Vomiting
- Weakness
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
3Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
5These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological markers/agents
6This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
6- Cerebrospinal Fluid LeukocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–5 /µL; 1y - 6y: 0–20 /µLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Neutrophil DifferentialReference range exampleAll: 0–5 %Linked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Creatine Kinase1 (CK-BB) IsoenzymeReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–1 %Linked diagnostic testsCreatine Kinase Concentration
- Intracranial Pressure (Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure, CSF Pressure)Linked diagnostic testsIntracranial Prassure Monitoring (CSF Pressure)
- Lactic Acid (Cerebrospinal Fluid, L-Lactate)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 9–21 mg/dL; Birth - 2wks: 10–65 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Lactic Acid Concentration (L-Lactate)
- Urine glucoseReference range example0–2.5; Adult ( > 16y): 0–2.5 mmol/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine glucose concentration
Often decreased
0No markers in this group.
Introduction / full article
Brain Abscess
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT):
Recommendation: Strong (HBOT has been shown to be effective in treating Brain Abscess')
Grade of Evidence: High quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Brain absces
A brain abscess is a collection of immune cells, pus, and other materials in the brain, usually as a result of a bacterial or fungal infection. [1] It can develop as a complication of an infection, trauma or surgery. The condition is rare but individuals with weakened immune system are at risk of developing it.[2] It can be extremely serious as the abscess may burst thus causing permanent brain damage or even death.[3]
Epidemiology
Brain abscess may affect people of any age but it commonly occurs in individuals who are on their 30s and 40s. Males are twice likely than females to have it. [4]
Causes
Local sources include ear infections, dental abscess, paranasal sinuses infection or epidural abscess. Remote sources may include infections in organs like lung, heart or kidney. Other causes of brain abscess are head trauma and surgical procedure. In children, cerebral abscesses are frequently linked to congenital heart disease. [4]
Risk Factors
There is an increased likelihood of developing brain abscess in people with weakened immune status like AIDS patients, patients with chronic disease like cancer, those with right-to-left heart shunts (often as a result of congenital heart disease) and those taking immunosuppressive drugs like corticosteroids. [5]
Symptoms
Symptoms depend on the size and location of abscess. A dull, achy headache is present in more than 75 percent of people with brain abscess. For most patients, this is the only symptom. The pain usually is limited to the side of the brain where the abscess is located. Aspirin and other pain medications do not relieve the pain. The pain often gets worse until the abscess is treated. [2] Other symptoms commonly reported are fever, confusion and weakness or one-sided paralysis of the body. [3]
Diagnosis
Symptoms tend to be general thus diagnosis is hard and often delayed. Medical and travel history are important to be obtained to determine previous infections as well as the risk of getting infections. Diagnostic tests such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are useful tools in diagnosis. [2] Other laboratory exams may be requested such as blood cultures and Complete blood count (CBC). A needle biopsy is often done to identify the cause of infection. [1]
Treatment
Brain abscess is often treated with antibiotics or by draining or removing the abscess through surgical procedures.[2]
References:
- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000783.htm
- http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9397.html
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Brain-abscess/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/185594.php
- http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/000783.htm