[The treatment of multiple brain abscesses]

Results are submitted of surgical treatment of 64 patients with multiple abscesses of the brain. The greatest benefit appeared to be from a combined treatment option involving different combinations of operative intervention (puncture, drainage, and complete removal) and, against this background, adequate doses of antibacterial agents. Overall fifty three patients (82.8%) underwent surgical treatment. Of these, 39.6 percent had their abscesses removed. Aspiration + drainage (22.6% of cases), aspiration + removal (16.9%) came in the second and third place respectively. Total mortality was 42.1%, operative mortality 35.7%. The lowest mortality level (16.6%) appeared to be in the combination of abscess puncture + drainage + removal. In the second place there came to be removal (death rate 28.7%) followed by the combination of puncture + removal (death rate 33.3%). Late operative intervention carried out in the patients during the stage of decompensation together with inadequate method of treatment were by far the commonest causes of the recorded mortality rates.