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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

A Retrospective Study on Endoscopic Surgery for the Treatment of Paravertebral Abscess in Spinal Tuberculosis Patients
Published on: October 25, 2024
[Brain abscess: about a clinical series of 30 patients]
Alberto Fica C1, Patricio Bustos G, Gonzalo Miranda C
1Sección de Infectología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. afica@redclinicauchile.cl
Abstract:
A retrospective study was designed to ascertain the main clinical features of 30 patients admitted for brain abscess between 1989 and 2005. A contiguous source of infection was identified in 40% of cases, direct inoculation secondary to trauma or neurosurgery in 23,3%, and a distant source in 23,3%. Fever, headache and sensorial involvement were the main clinical manifestations. Temporal and frontal lesions were predominant. Microbiological information was available in only half of cases, prevailing polymicrobial and gram-positive bacterial infections. Most patients underwent surgical procedures (66.7%) and the rest received only medical therapy. During antimicrobial treatment, 6 patients (20%) suffered a serious adverse event that prompted discontinuation or change of therapy. Failure of treatment was observed in 40%, including 3 deaths (10%), non-programmed surgical drainage or reintervention (16.7%) and changes of the antimicrobial regimen (13.3%). Eight patients were discharged with sequels (26.7%), and during follow-up, 21% presented major events (death or brain abscess-related readmission).
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