Brain Abscesses

Brain abscesses can develop from simple infections that are caused by tooth infections and gum diseases or more complicated infections originating in the nose, or the mouth and carried to the brain. Infections that occur in any area of the human body which can be carried by the bloodstream, can cause an infection in the brain.

Symptoms of brain abscesses include a wide variety of signs and symptoms which can depend on the location of the infection or its severity. These symptoms include: changes in mood and personality,

insomnia, frequent headaches, restlessness, vomiting, and nausea. The symptoms of fever and general malaise which may manifest themselves over a time period of a few days, or even a few weeks, can accompany the above symptoms of a brain abscess and disappear over time.

Diagnosing a brain abscess begins with the use of a computing topography, also known as a ct scan, or the use of a magnetic resonance imaging scan. These two methods enable doctors to detect a collection of pus on an area of the brain. The scans can be deceiving sometimes as a tumor could also appear as a collection of pus on the scanning images. In order to correctly determine whether or not an unusual image shown through the use of an mri or ct scan is a brain abscess or tumor, further tests must be utilized by the examining doctor. A biopsy may be required to ensure that a proper and reliable diagnosis will be made. This is especially important when dealing with an organ like the brain, which, if damaged cannot heal itself as well as other organs..

Brain abscesses are a rare occurrence, but they are also deadly. Without proper treatment with antibiotics, a brain abscess can be fatal. Antibiotics commonly used by doctors to treat brain abscesses are: penicillin, ceftizoxime, metronidazole, nafcillin, and cephalosporins. Treatment with the above antibiotics are normally continued for 6 to 8 weeks after the discovery of the infection. Ct scans or mri scans can be used by doctors to verify whether or not the infection has been resolved in the brain.

If antibiotic treatment does not resolve the brain infection, a doctor may have to drain the abscess through a surgical procedure. Brain abscesses are serious infections. A brain abscess can kill a person if the condition remains undiagnosed and untreated by a physician. Don’t ignore a festering infection, no matter where it is located in the body, or how minor it may seem to you. Remember, even a minor tooth infection can lead to a serious and life threatening illness in the brain.