Brain abscess: a rare complication of halo usage

The halo traction device for cervical spine immobilization has few complications and is routinely used for spinal cord injured patients. The following case report describes a patient with lower cervical and upper thoracic fractures stabilized with a halo. She completed a two-month rehabilitation program without complications, but developed frontal headaches and vomiting within one or two days of discharge. A head CT revealed a right frontal isodense mass consistent with a brain abscess. The abscess was resected surgically, and she was placed on antibiotics. Mortality rates from brain abscesses are as high as 24%, making a prompt diagnosis critical. This case report describes an unusual etiology for a brain abscess, and it discusses the appropriate work-up in a neurologically impaired patient.