[Brain abscess in childhren: A ten cases report]

OBJECTIVES: Considering that the brain abscess is rare in infants, with a high mortality rate, the objective of this paper is to report the clinical evolution of ten children with the diagnosis of brain abscess in the Pediatric Nursery of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Medical School of the Campinas State University (UNICAMP).METHODS: The data of the patients with diagnosis of brain abscess recorded between January 1986 and July 1995 were reviewed. The following data were analyzed: age, sex, clinical manifestations, physical examination, radiological data, etiological agent, treatment, complications and clinical evolution of the patients.RESULTS: The age of the patients varied from 2 to 13 years (median 3 years); 6 of them were female. The neurological manifestations predominated, and 2 patients had history of prior otorhinolaryngological infection (chronic otitis media and sinusitis). Two patients had congenital cyanogenic cardiopathy (Fallot tetralogy and Pulmonary Stenosis with Interventricular Communication). The diagnosis and follow-up were made with computed tomography of the brain. In six cases there were one sole abscess located more frequently in the frontal lobe. The treatment in majority of the cases was broad-spectrum antibiotic association and surgical drainage. Five patients had neurological sequelae (seizure, hydrocephalus and paresis); one death occurred.CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, the brain abscess has to be remembered in patients that have neurological alterations associated to risk factors, as otorhinolaryngological infections and congenital cyanotic cardiopathy, being mandatory the realization of computed tomography of the brain to confirm the diagnosis.