Brain Abscess

A brain abscess is a localized supprative process within the brain parenchyma. Despite advance in the diagnosis and antibiotic therapy, the incidence does not seem to have fallen dramatically. In fact, it seems to be increasing in places where the immuno-compromised patients are increasing. But there seems to be a definite improvement in the mortality rates about 40% until 1980 to 14% in 1983. This improvement has been attributed to two achievements, i.e., the availability of CT scan for earlier diagnosis and earlier surgical intervention and advances in the microbiological techniques in culturing the anaerobic organisms.