Cerebral abscess

Alternative names:

abscess - brain; brain abscess; CNS abscess

Symptoms:

• headache
• stiff neck, shoulders, or back
• aching of neck, shoulders, or back
• vomiting
• changes in mental status
  • drowsiness
  • confusion
  • inattention
  • irritability
  • slow thought processes
  • decreasing responsiveness
  • eventual coma

• seizures
• fever (occurs in less than 50% of people)
• localized loss of nerve functions (focal neurologic deficits)
  • vision changes
  • muscle function/feeling loss
  • decreased sensation (arm and leg on the same side of the body)
  • decreased movement (arm and leg on the same side of the body)
  • weakness of an area (arm and leg on the same side of the body)
  • decreased speech (aphasia)
  • loss of coordination

Note: Symptoms may develop gradually, over a period of 2 weeks, or they may develop suddenly. Once symptoms occur, they progressively worsen.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• movement, dysfunctional
• eyes, pupils different size
• breathing, absent temporarily

Signs and tests:

A patient history and physical examination characteristically reveals signs of increased intracranial pressure and focal neurologic deficits. A possible source for the infection may also be revealed. A neurologic examination shows losses that correlate to the location of the abscess. An eye examination may show neurologic deficits such as loss of eye movement; retinal examination may show swelling of the optic nerve (a sign of increased intracranial pressure).

• A CBC may indicate infection or inflammation.
• Blood cultures will reveal any bacteria in the bloodstream.
• A chest X-ray will reveal lung infections (one of the more common sources of infection).
• An EEG may be abnormal if seizures or focal neurologic deficits are present.
• A cranial CT scan or MRI of head shows the abscess and its exact location.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• CSF collection
• ADH