title: Surgical outcome of encapsulated brain abscess in superficial non-eloquent area: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate surgical (aspiration and resection) outcome of encapsulated brain abscess in superficial non-eloquent area.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library from the foundation of the database till December 2013. Two researchers screened literatures independently, assessed the quality of the included studies and extracted the data. Revman 5.2.8 was used to do meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of five studies were included, all retrospective cohort studies. Eighty-four cases were in the abscess aspiration group and 124 cases were in the abscess resection group. Meta-analysis showed that the abscess resection group had lower rate of postoperative residual abscess, lower re-operation rate, higher rate of improvement in neurological status within 1 month after surgery, their OR (95% Confidence Interval (CI)) were 0.12 (0.04, 0.34), 0.07 (0.02, 0.20), 7.9 (3.20, 19.51) respectively; the abscess resection group had shorter duration of post-operative antibiotics and average length of hospital stay; Standard Mean Difference (SMD) (95% CI) were -0.84 (-1.27, -0.41), -1.01 (-1.54, -0.49), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of improvement in neurological status at 3 months post-operative and the mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current evidences suggest that for encapsulated brain abscess in superficial non-eloquent area, abscess resection compared to abscess aspiration had lower post-operative residual abscess rate; lower re-operation rate; higher rate of improvement in neurological status within 1 month after surgery, shorter duration of post-operative antibiotics and average length of hospital stay. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of improvement in neurological status at 3 months post-operative and the mortality.
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University , Beijing , China ;
authors.forename: Yixuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurosurgery , The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Xinting
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurosurgery , The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Ruokun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurosurgery , The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Ziqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurosurgery , The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University , Zhengzhou , China.
authors.forename: Ranjan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raj Singh
authors.affiliation: a Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University , Beijing , China ;
authors.forename: Yazhuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: abscess aspiration; abscess resection; prognosis; systematic review