Abstract
Brain abscess outcomes have improved in recent years due to advancements in cranial
imaging, microbiological techniques, minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures,
and effective antibiotic treatments. However, the incidence of brain abscess remains
unchanged in developing countries. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for references
using the key words “brain abscess” and “India” and reviewed both retrospective and
prospective studies published in peer-reviewed journals in the current decade to understand
the present status. The review shows that the patients’ ages, the predominance of
male patients, the symptoms and locations of brain abscesses, and the types of bacteria
associated with them have remained unchanged over the past decade. The most common
predisposing condition in recent years has been chronic suppurative otitis media with
a mortality rate of 7 to 10%. Middle ear infection is often neglected and not treated
aggressively in Asian countries. It requires multidisciplinary treatment strategies
to address the primary source of infection and better health awareness to prevent
the development of brain abscess.
Keywords
brain abscess - chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) - prevention
