To describe the clinical and epidemiological profile of patients with brain abscess at Hospital Escuela, Honduras (2018–2023), including treatment patterns and in-hospital outcomes.
Approach:
Data Collection: Thirteen medical records were identified through ICD-10 coding, with diagnoses confirmed by radiological, microbiological, or clinical-team criteria.
Key Findings:
Of 13 patients, 61.5% were male, and 53.8% were pediatric (≤15 years).
All abscesses were supratentorial, with parietal and occipital lobes affected in 30.8% of cases.
Traumatic brain injury was the most frequent predisposing condition (23.1%).
Etiologic identification was achieved in 30.8% of cases; direct microbiological confirmation was available in one case.
Identified organisms included Streptococcus spp. and opportunistic pathogens.
Neurological status at admission was preserved in 84.6% of patients.
All patients were managed with intravenous antimicrobial therapy; no neurosurgical drainage was performed.
In-hospital mortality was 0%, with 46.2% discharged with no significant disability.
Interpretation:
Limitations:
The study is based on a single national referral center.
The sample size is small, limiting generalizability.
