title: [Cerebral abscesses. The clinical and evolutionary aspects of 17 cases treated surgically].
abstract: Seventeen cases of cerebral abscesses undergoing surgery were reviewed, underlying the characteristics of predisposing factors, infectious sources, microbiological and radiological studies, as well as clinical and evolutive aspects. The average age of the patients was 34 years, with a higher incidence in the second (35%) and sixth (22%) decades. The young patients (< 40 years) showed a greater frequency of adjacent infectious sources (83%) and the older patients (> 40 years), distant infectious sources (75%). The average time gap between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis was 7 +/- 13 days. CAT showed in all the patients typical hypodense images with a peripheral ring; three patients had multiple abscesses and the remainder, single abscesses. In 12 patients (70.5%), microbiological cultures were positive, 3 (25%) for aerobe germs, 7 (50.3%) for anaerobe germs, 1 (8.33%) for multiple germs and 1 (8.33%) for fungi. Eleven patients underwent surgical drainage, four of which required latter exeresis. Six other patients underwent exeresis as the only surgical treatment. One patient died and the remainder showed a positive evolution. The hospital length of stay was 42.3 +/- 52.3 days. The most frequent sequela was the epilepsia present in 23.5% of the patients. Our findings are similar to the results of recent works, although in our series, there is a higher frequency of anaerobe germs. No differences were observed between the surgical techniques used nor between the past and current antibiotherapy patterns.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Xeral de Vigo.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez Vázquez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viladrich
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Quintela Bermúdez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bordón
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sopeña Arguelles
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente Aguado
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
vernacular_title: Abscesos cerebrales. Aspectos clínicos y evolutivos de 17 casos intervenidos quirúrgicamente.