BRAIN ABSCESSES - REVIEW OF 30 CASES TREATED WITH SURGERY

Thirty patients with brain abscesses who were treated at the Departmen t of Neurosurgery, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, during the perio d July 1989 to July 1993, were reviewed. There were seven females and 23 males with mean follow up duration of 19 months. The predisposing f actors identified were otogenic infections in 10 cases (33%), paranasa l sinus infection in 2 cases (7%) and congenital heart disease in 6 ca ses (20%). All cases underwent aspiration or excision of the abscess. Repeat operations were carried out if the abscess reaccumulated. A tot al of 49 aspirations and 16 excisions were performed. Twenty-five pati ents (84%) made a good recovery, three patients (10%) were moderately disabled, one patient (3%) was severely disabled and one patient (3%) died. There was no postoperative haemorrhage or wound infections. Two patients (7%) developed hydrocephalus and three (10%) had seizures pos toperatively.