[Brain abscess in children: ten years of experience in a third level pediatric hospital]

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases
• Neurology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Brain abscess is a serious focal infection with a reported incidence of 0.3-1.3 cases per 100,000 person-years.
• Understanding the specific epidemiological and clinical features in pediatric populations is essential for timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and microbiology of brain abscess in children.
• To analyze treatment strategies and outcomes for pediatric brain abscess patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 38 children diagnosed with brain abscess between April 2005 and December 2015.
• Data collected included patient demographics, predisposing factors, symptom onset, lesion characteristics, treatment, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• The median age was 132 months, with 24 males. Predisposing factors were present in 25 children, and the median symptom onset to visit was 7 days.
• Anaerobes, Streptococcus viridans, and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common pathogens. Surgical drainage was performed in 34 patients.
• Median antibiotic treatment was 56 days, and median hospitalization was 43 days, with a 3% lethality rate.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric brain abscess requires prompt diagnosis and management, often involving surgical intervention and prolonged antibiotic therapy.
• Identifying common causative agents like anaerobes and Streptococcus viridans aids in guiding empirical antibiotic choices.
• The study highlights a low lethality rate, suggesting effective treatment protocols for pediatric brain abscess.