J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  1999 Nov;28(11):1594-1600.

Subdural Empyema in Infants

• Kwak YS
• Oh MS
• Ryu SK

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to review the etiologies, phathophysiology, clinical presentations and to compare the results of the surgical methods of subdural empyema especially in infants.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We reviewed the clinical data of five infantile subdural empyemas experienced in our hospital from 1993 to 1998 which were all surgically treated by craniotomy or burr hole trephination. We experienced five cases of infantile subdural empyema: two males and three females. The ages ranged from 40 days to 11 months.
RESULTS
The etiologies of all five cases were unproven but all five cases had meningitis before the subdural empyemas were diagnosed. The causative organism in one was streptococcus pneumoniae, and the other were unknown. Two were treated with craniotomy(one with a good outcome and the other died) and three were treated with burr hole trephination(all three had a good outcome).
CONCLUSION
Subdural empyema is a rapid progressing disease and it is important to detect and treat in the early stages of disease. The choice of surgical method must be based on the stage of the disease and its location in the cranial cavity.

Keyword

Subdural empyema; Craniotomy; Burr hole; Infantile; Outcome

MeSH Terms

Craniotomy
Empyema, Subdural*
Female
Humans
Infant*
Male
Meningitis
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Trephining