title: Diagnosis and treatment of abscess of the central ganglia.
abstract: The authors present four cases of abscess of the thalamus and basal ganglia and review an additional 10 cases from the literature. These abscesses appear to be metastatic and are usually associated with a cardiac septal defect or a preceding intrathoracic infection. Fever, elevated white blood count, and/or meningismus, in combination with angiography demonstrating an avascular mass, help distinguish abscess from tumor in this location. The authors advocate aspiration rather than excision.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001479:Basal Ganglia; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D014695:Cerebral Ventriculography; D006801:Humans; D001239:Inhalation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013788:Thalamus
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents