Epilepsy and brain abscess.

Although epilepsy is a well recognized complication of brain abscess, the true incidence of seizures and the factors which predispose to seizure occurrence and recurrence are not well established. This study retrospectively assessed the incidence of seizures and seizure recurrence in 35 consecutive adult patients diagnosed surgically with brain abscess between 1984 and 1994. Following diagnosis, all patients were treated with phenytoin. There was no relationship between the site of the abscess, organism cultured, surgical treatment, presumed aetiology, age or sex of the patient and seizure occurrence. It is concluded that epilepsy is a common complication of cerebral abscess, frequently occurring at presentation. Early seizures predispose to late seizures and in these patients long-term anticonvulsant treatment should be considered. If a patient remains seizure free at discharge, the chance of developing seizures is relatively small.