Intracranial abscess: treatment by continuous catheter drainage

15 children with brain abscesses were subjected to continuous catheter drainage as the procedure of choice for a solitary encapsulated abscess. Although many still advocate craniotomy and total excision, this series, coupled with the experience of others in the literature, leaves little doubt that catheter drainage alone is sufficient. The simplicity of creating a burr hole under local anesthesia, the ability to irrigate with antibiotics and then outline the cavity with contrast agents are but a few of the advantages of this method.