[Brain abscess: successful treatment of 4 cases including one with ventricular perforation]

The authors experienced with four cases of brain abscess, one of which ruptured into the lateral ventricle. Two cases were treated conservatively and the remaining two were treated surgically. All cases recovered satisfactorily. Case 1: A 30-year-old man with congenital cyanotic heart disease was admitted on Oct. 4, 1979, because of convulsion. Physical examination revealed motor aphasia, right hemihypesthesia, cyanosis, clubbed finger and continuous heart murmur. CT scan showed a ring-enhance mass lesion in the left temporal lobe. Although transient deterioration of the clinical course was observed, he improved satisfactorily after medical treatment of 20 days. Case 2: A 54-year-old man with left homonymous upper quadrantanopia and systolic heart murmur was admitted on Sept. 17, 1979. alpha-streptococcus was detected in the culture of his arterial blood. Vegetation near the mitral valve was revealed by ultrasonic cardiogram. CT scan showed an irregular and ill-shaped ring-enhanced mass in the left temporoparietal region. A saccular aneurysm in the insular portion of the posterior parietal artery was seen on the left carotid angiogram. He was also treated medically and the abscess was gradually reduced and the aneurysm disappeared. Case 3: A 28-year-old man complaining of headache, nausea and vomiting was admitted on Dec. 1, 1979. Physical examination revealed nuchal stiffness, right homonymous hemianopia and bilateral choked disc.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)