Chronic abscess of the brain stem.

The incidence of solitary brain stem abscess is less than 4% of all posterior fossa abscesses, and probably less than 1% of all intracranial abscesses. Two cases are reported, both presenting as chronic progressive clinical problems and initially diagnosed as gliomas. It is suggested that aspiration is a more suitable treatment than excision, and that in cases secondary to otogenic disease, radical mastoidectomy might have been an adequate method of prophylaxis.