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Can Brain Abscess Grow In Time And Cause Psychiatric Symptoms?
Question: Can brain abscess grow slowly over a couple months? And can they present with psychiatric symptoms?
Brief Answer:
brain abscess
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
the most common symptom of brain abscess is headache usually on the side of the abscess and does not get relieved with pain. Fever is only present 45-50% of cases. Yes it can grow gradually over a period of time. Seizures occurs in 25% of cases and can be the initial manifestation of the disease. Eventually there may be signs of compression such as unilateral headache along with nerve palsies and unilateral hemiparesis. It has not been classically known to present with psychiatric symptoms however if it does its a rare manifestation and these other symptoms described would precede it. MRI is the confirmatory test for brain abscess.
Hope it helps.
Dr. Khan
brain abscess
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
the most common symptom of brain abscess is headache usually on the side of the abscess and does not get relieved with pain. Fever is only present 45-50% of cases. Yes it can grow gradually over a period of time. Seizures occurs in 25% of cases and can be the initial manifestation of the disease. Eventually there may be signs of compression such as unilateral headache along with nerve palsies and unilateral hemiparesis. It has not been classically known to present with psychiatric symptoms however if it does its a rare manifestation and these other symptoms described would precede it. MRI is the confirmatory test for brain abscess.
Hope it helps.
Dr. Khan
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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