| Brain Abscess:
(Left) T1-weighted with gadolinium axial MRI; (Right) T1-weighted with gadolinium
coronal MRI. Note the ring enhancement on the gadolinium enhanced
scans in the left posterior parietal/occipital lobe. Neurosurgical
aspiration revealed pus. Culture showed Staphylococcus aureus. Intracranial abscesses can occur in the epidural and subdural space as well as in the brain parenchyma. Infection most often occurs from spread through the blood system, or from direct invasion of an infection from an adjacent structure (e.g., sinusitis, otitis, mastoiditis, etc). Patients most often present subacutely over days to a few weeks with fever, headache, and/or focal neurological signs, including seizures. |
Revised
10/23/06
Copyrighted 2006. David C Preston