Delayed Cerebral abscess following a retained shrapnel

Retained foreign bodies following penetrating brain injuries continue to pose therapeutic dilemmas. Previously used aggressive approach involving extensive wound debridement and removal of foreign bodies caused additional neurological deficit with higher mortality. Less aggressive approach used more recently involving decompressive craniectomy has lead to higher incidence of retained foreign bodies with potential of infective sequelae. We describe one such case where, in presence of a retained foreign body, an intracranial abscess formed after a gap of 17 yrs. The case has peculiar radiological and morphological findings.