Brain abscess in children.

During that last 6 years, 100 children have been treated for brain abscess at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore. Of these, 69 abscesses were otogenic. The treatment included aspiration of the abscess (84% of cases) and antibiotic therapy. CT scan as a diagnostic tool was available only for a few cases in the last year. In 16% of the cases the abscess was excised. The overall mortality was 21%. Of the surviving children, 76% recovered totally. Epilepsy as a sequel occurred in 21% of the cases. The fact that mortality continues to be high is attributed to the degree of impairment of consciousness of the children at the time of admission. Early detection and successful treatment of brain abscess in children still remain a clinical challenge.