Medical cure of apparent brain abscesses

Two children with apparent brain abscesses were cured with antibiotic therapy. Review of the literature reveals clinical and experimental evidence that both cerebritis and an encapsulated abscess may appear as an enhancing ring lesion on cranial computed tomography. Patients reported to have had brain abscesses cured without surgery actually may have had cerebritis. There are only preliminary hints as to how to differentiate patients with cerebritis from those with an abscess. More experience is necessary to develop criteria to determine which patients may be appropriately treated with antibiotic therapy alone.