Brain Abscess Symptoms & Causes

What causes a brain abscess?

The most common causes are viruses and bacteria. Several factors may increase your child's chances of developing a brain abscess:

• congenital (present at birth) heart disease
• meningitis
• chronic middle ear and sinus infections
• dental or jaw infections
• infections of the face or scalp
• head injury or skull fracture
• traction (a device placed around the head to hold the head and neck areas still; used in patients with broken necks)
• shunt (devices used to drain excess amounts of cerebral spinal fluid)

Brain abscesses can occur in any child, but they're more common in young, school-aged children and occur twice as often in boys than in girls.

Symptoms vary from child to child, based on their age. The most common include:

• fever
• a full or bulging soft spot on the top of the head
• sleepiness or less alert than usual
• increased irritability
• high-pitched cry
• poor feeding
• projectile vomiting
• seizures

• fever
• complaints of severe headaches
• nausea and vomiting
• changes in personality or behavior
• changes in speech
• problems walking
• increased movement in the arms or legs (spasticity)
• seizures