[Results of treatment of 101 otogenic brain abscesses--56-years experience]

Inflammatory process in the areas of the middle ear creates a possible danger related with the development of extratemporal and intratemporal complications. The most dangerous of those include meningitis and cerebral abscesses, which are still present.

The aim of the work is to present 101 patients with cerebral, in temporal lobe, and cerebellar abscesses of aural origin throughout the period of 56 years, namely between 1953 and 2009.

Data concerning the patients have been obtained retrospectively on the basis of medical files. The analysis covered otolaryngological and neurological examinations, as well as method related with diagnosing abscesses. The thesis distinguished three periods of diagnosing otogenic brain abscess, depending on available diagnostic techniques. The first period covers the years 1956-1978, when constituted the basis of diagnosis. During the second period, falling between 1979 and 1989, the diagnosis was based on computed tomography of the head, while within the third period, including the years between 1990 and 2009, diagnosis focused on nuclear magnetic resonance. During the last two years neuronavigation was utilized for puncturing abscesses.

The survival rate equalled 65% between 1953 and 1978, reached 86% between 1979 and 1989, and 91% after the year 1990, however, it is worth mentioning that after the year 1995 there were no fatal cases.