Introduction: We lack data on the epidemiology and management of brain abscesses in the Middle East. The aim of this study is to report a case series of brain abscesses admitted at a tertiary care center in Lebanon, between January 2008 and December 2018.
Methodology: This retrospective study aimed at determining the demographic data, treatment, and correlations between different studied variables with prognosis of patients that received treatment.
Results: Forty-one patients (30 males) were included with a median age of 37 years (2-85). The analysis showed that the classic triad of fever, headache and neurologic deficit was only present in 12% of patients on admission. The source of infection was contiguous in 36.5%, post surgical in 32%, and distant in 17% of cases. Stereotactic biopsy was performed in 41.5% of patients, and craniotomy in 19.5%. A microorganism was isolated in 63% of patients (26 cases). The most used antibiotics were carbapenems (46%) and glycopeptides (66%). Eighty percent of patient (33) had a good outcome. A worse prognosis was significantly correlated with immunosuppression and multiple cerebral abscesses.
Conclusions: Brain abscess remains a relatively rare condition.
Keywords: Brain abscess; HIV; antibiotics; human immunodeficiency virus; patient prognosis; stereotactic biopsy.
Copyright (c) 2021 Rami Waked, Hassan Tarhini, Hussein Mansour, Gebrael Saliba, Nabil Chehata, Marie Chedid, Elie Haddad, Jacques Choucair.