Brain abscess in childhood: a 28-year experience.

Brain abscess is an uncommon intracranial suppurative infectious disease, especially in children. The clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of 75 children with brain abscesses admitted to the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. Seventy-five cases of brain abscess within a 28-year period were included in this study. Fever and headache were the most common presenting symptoms. Cyanotic congenital heart disease was the most common predisposing factor. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus spp. Although congenital heart disease remained the most common predisposing factor for development of intracerebral abscess, the rate of immunocompromised diseases as a predisposing factor of brain abscess has increased in recent years, and better management of otogenic infections also influences the prevalence of the disease.