Clinical features and outcome analysis of 90 cases with brain abscess in central China

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and outcomes of brain abscess in patients in central China. Ninety consecutive patients with brain abscess were studied retrospectively. The rate of positive bacterial culture in the present series was 12%. The outcome of superficial abscesses was better than those of abscesses in deep-seated locations (p<0.01); multiple brain abscesses led to significantly poorer outcomes than unilocated abscesses (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between the paediatric group and the adult group (p>0.05). Differences in outcomes between intrathecal injection combined with systemic administration of antibiotics vs. only venous administration could not be found (p>0.05). The clinical effectiveness of tertiary-generation cephalosporin+vancomycin+metronidazole for bacterial brain abscess was 88%. Therefore, combined antibiotics in cases with no evidence of positive culture in brain abscess are strongly recommended.