brain abscess development

[lynniesue]

how long can it take for a brain abscess to develop

[lynniesue]

THANKS! DO YOU HAVE OR KNOW WHERE I CAN GET THE BEST DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE WORKINGS OF THE LEFT FRONTAL LOBE AND I BELIEVE THE AREA JUST BELOW THAT CLOSER TO THE EAR. IF I AM NOT MISTAKEN THAT IS ANOTHER CONTROL AREA SEPARATE FROM THE FRONTAL LOBE.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Thanks for the update. Symptoms of brain abscess may develop slowly, over a period of several weeks, or they may develop suddenly. The symptoms you mentioned such as changes in mental status - confusion, irritability, slow thought processes,  decreased movement and speech, headache and language difficulties, and vision changes  are consistent with brain abscess symptoms.  Talk to his lawyer about his case and discuss the legal aspects of this. You can also  discuss this with his attending physician and see if he or she can help by providing  a medical certificate .Take care and do keep us posted.

[lynniesue]

my husband had a huge abscess on his left frontal lobe, that along with the inflamation and fluid encompassed the majority of the area. Six weeks prior to finding this and the subsequent surgery, he was laid off from his job. 2 days following that he made an irrrational impulsive reaction by changing a password in a computer system so they could not log into the files until they figured out what happened(it took a few hours I guess). Prior to this there were other signs of irrational behavior, childish kind of stuff, just not normal for him. He rapidly declined in his behavior, becoming more reclusive, depressed and basically shutting himself off from the family.We thought it was a reaction to the crime, embarassment, stress, etc. He complained of headaches, had slurred speech at times and a constant tongue throbbing thing for about 2 weeks during that time frame. Is it possible that this abscess may have been developing and causing his odd impulsive behavior then already. he is facing a 5 year felony charge for a stupid stupid action and for the massive area of the left frontal lobe that was compromised i cannot imagine that it could not be considered a factor in his behavior. How can I find any information to support this without having to pay for it for a court decision?

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? A brain abscess is a medical emergency and may be life threatening. A brain abscess is a collection of immune cells, pus, and other material in the brain, usually from a bacterial or fungal infection.  Swelling and inflammation develop in response to this infection and eventually creates a mass and this may put pressure on delicate brain tissue and can block the blood vessels of the brain. Symptoms to watch out for include: changes in mental status, decreased movement or sensation, fever and chills, headache, seizures, stiff neck and vomiting. A complete neurological exam by a doctor and additional tests like blood cultures, Ct scan/ MRI and blood tests will help with the diagnosis. Take care and regards.

[yellowbean]

That depends on may factors.  What organism, what the underlying clinical and immunological status of the person is.  Medications they are on, etc...