Brain Abscess Resulting from Aural and Sinus Infections1

ABSCESSES of the brain, arising from infection of the paranasal sinuses or mastoid infection, are usually single, first passing through a stage of septic encephalitis, followed by encapsulation. If the infection of the brain is caused by highly virulent organisms, a rapid necrosis of the brain tissues may follow, and encapsulation does not take place. Treatment of an abscess of this type nearly always fails. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss some of the important features of brain abscess and to describe a method of treatment which, in the author's hands, has given fairly satisfactory results. It is probable that the technic of operation for brain abscess will be further refined, and that reduction of the present mortality rate will be accomplished by applying different methods of operative treatment to different types of abscess. The size of the abscess, its subcortical depth, and the density of the capsule must all be taken into consideration in deciding whether or not drainage should be employ...