title: Clinical features and predictive factors of intraventricular rupture in patients who have bacterial brain abscesses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraventricular rupture of brain abscesses (IVRBA) remains a catastrophic and fatal complication of bacterial brain abscess (BBA). However, no information has been reported about the risk factors that are predictive of intraventricular rupture.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was undertaken to determine the potential risk factors that are predictive of intraventricular ruptures in patients with BBA but without intraventricular rupture when arriving at the hospital. A comparison is also made between patients who already have IVRBA at the time of admission (initial IVRBA) and those who have the episode during hospitalisation (subsequent IVRBA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  62 patients, including 45 who had initial IVRBA and 17 who had subsequent IVRBA, were examined. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the adjusted risk of intraventricular rupture during hospitalisation for patients with multiloculated brain abscesses had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24 to 14.3; p = 0.02) compared with those without multiloculated brain abscesses (referent); a reduction of 1 mm in the distance between the ventricle and brain abscesses would increase the rupture rate by 10% (p = 0.006, OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that if the abscess is deep seated, multiloculated and close to the ventricle wall, a reduction of 1 mm in the distance between the ventricle and brain abscesses will increase the rupture rate by 10%. Despite aggressive medical and surgical management shown in this series, many patients continue to progress poorly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, 123, Ta Pei Road, Niao Sung Hsiang, Kaohsiung Hsien 83301, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tsung-Han
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Wen-Neng
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Thung-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hsueh-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chun-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Jih-Tsun
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Hung-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cheng-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous