This is an automatically translated article.
Brain abscess is known to be a response to infection and trauma. While not a leading cause of death, it is still a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
1. What is a brain abscess?
A brain abscess is a collection of pus enclosed in brain tissue. These abscesses stem from bacterial or fungal infections. In addition, brain abscess can also be a complication of infection, surgery, trauma...
Usually, brain abscess occurs in subjects with weakened immune systems (with HIV disease or performed an organ transplant...). Abscesses can be caused by infection in one of the following ways:
Spread from nearby areas, eg otitis media, tooth abscess, sinusitis... Blood carries the infection from other organs to the brain. There are microorganisms carrying the infection that enter the brain through a wound, especially a penetrating wound, or from neurosurgery, head trauma...
2. How to recognize brain abscess?
Brain abscess can appear at any age. For adults, brain abscess occurs more often in people under 30 years of age and has a higher incidence in men. For children, this condition is quite common in the age group of 4 to 7 years old, sometimes appearing in infants as well.
When there is a brain abscess, the patient will experience some of the following symptoms:
Headache (accounting for about 70% of abscess cases): the pain usually begins in the abscess area, occurs suddenly. These pains are usually located in the first half of the head and cannot be relieved with pain relievers; Fever (about 45% - 53% of cases); Convulsions (about 25% - 35%); Nausea, vomiting (accounting for about 40%): this symptom usually tends to increase gradually when pressure builds up in the brain; Seizures are the initial manifestation of a brain abscess. In addition, about 65% of brain abscess cases have erratic changes related to mental problems, causing patients to have some manifestations such as:
Confused, slow response;. Impaired ability to concentrate; Drowsiness, fatigue; Irritability; May cause coma. Some other neurological problems can also appear in a few days or weeks such as:
Numbness, weakness or paralysis of one side of the body;. Slurred speech, stuttering; Weak vision, blurred vision, double vision; Stiff neck, back and shoulders; In general, the symptoms of a brain abscess are a combination of symptoms from infection, brain tissue damage, and pressure on the brain as the abscess develops.
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3. Is brain abscess dangerous?
The answer is yes.
When brain abscess is not treated in time, the patient's life will be in danger. Some dangerous complications from brain abscess include:
Brain damage: lesions can be mild to moderate, often improving with time. However, some serious damage has the potential to be permanent. Epilepsy: the patient has multiple seizures. Meningitis: when brain abscesses are caused by infections, these infections can also cause meningitis and are at high risk of death. This is especially common in children.
4. Diagnosis and treatment - solutions to reduce the risk of death from brain abscess
4.1 How to diagnose brain abscess?
Diagnosis of brain abscess by clinical manifestations is extremely difficult because these symptoms are quite common in many neurological diseases. Therefore, many patients have subjectively ignored the signs until the disease worsened.
Therefore, you need to tell your doctor about the unusual signs you experience to better support the diagnosis process. When brain abscess formation is suspected, doctors will conduct a number of tests such as:
Computed tomography (CT) MRI Magnetic resonance imaging These imaging techniques will provide images. inside the brain and an abscess can appear at one or more different points.
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4.2 Treatment methods for brain abscess
Early detection and timely treatment of brain abscess is extremely necessary to minimize dangerous complications from it. Usually, this problem is treated in 2 directions:
Treatment of the infection with antibiotics: when the cause of the specific infection is known, the appropriate antibiotics will be used. Besides, some broad-spectrum antibiotics will be used to eliminate a large number of infectious agents. Usually, antibiotics will be maintained for 6 weeks or more, ensuring complete eradication of the infection. Removing the abscess: When the abscess is in a favorable location, there is little risk of brain damage, doctors can perform surgery to remove it. In some cases, brain abscesses can be drained.
5. How to prevent brain abscess?
As mentioned above, the infection that causes brain abscess can come from nearby areas. Therefore, to prevent disease, you should:
Clean and scientific oral hygiene; flossing to remove plaque, leftover food in the interdental spaces; Treat sinusitis with decongestants; Antibiotics can be used with a doctor's prescription if the tooth infection/sinusitis is severe; Prevent HIV with safe sex practices. Brain abscesses can be treated and prevented in several ways. If you suspect a brain abscess ̧ you need to notify your doctor as soon as possible to have a suitable examination. International General Hospital is one of the leading medical facilities in Vietnam, equipped with a system of modern medical equipment, a team of experienced, skilled and professional doctors.
To register for examination and treatment at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact the nationwide Vinmec Health System Hotline, or register online HERE.
References: medicalnewstoday.com , health.harvard.edu , nhs.uk
