The aching head. Intracranial suppuration due to head and neck infections

Many infections of the head and neck may progress to cause more serious suppurative complications that involve the brain and its associated structures. Because many, if not all, of these infectious diseases present as headache, it would be appropriate to discuss all these clinical entities, but because of space limitations, this article focuses on brain abscess, subdural empyema, and cranial epidural abscess. These three pyogenic infections are reviewed in relation to their causal relationship to common and important pericranial infections.