Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

A Review of Brain Abscess Surgical Treatment-78 Years: Aspiration versus Excision

Lookup NU author(s): Thiloka Ratnaike, Dr Sharmila Das, Dr Barbara Gregson, Emeritus Professor David Mendelow

Downloads

Full text for this publication is not currently held within this repository. Alternative links are provided below where available.


Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The literature regarding surgical treatment of brain abscess was reviewed from 1990 to (and including) 2008 to supplement a previous literature review from 1930 to 1990. METHODS: The Ovid Medline database 1950-2009 with the year range limited to 1990-2009 was used to identify all articles relating to brain abscess. The results were compared with a previously published review from 1930-1990 by the senior author. RESULTS: The original finding was confirmed that the high mortality from aspiration in the pre-computer tomography era decreased dramatically after computer tomographic scanning became available. In the present review, the mean mortality for aspiration post-1990 was 6.6% for publications with more than five patients. With surgical excision by craniotomy, the mean mortality in the same period was 12.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The present review suggests that aspiration may be the first surgical choice in patients with supratentorial parenchymal brain abscesses.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Ratnaike TE, Das S, Gregson BA, Mendelow AD

Publication type: Review

Publication status: Published

Journal: World Neurosurgery

Year: 2011

Volume: 76

Issue: 5

Pages: 431-436

Print publication date: 01/11/2011

ISSN (print): 1878-8750

ISSN (electronic): 1878-8769

Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2011.03.048

DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.03.048


Share