Editing Brain abscess (section)

==Signs and symptoms==
Fever, headache, and neurological problems, while classic, only occur in 20% of people with brain abscess.<ref name=Br2014>{{cite journal | vauthors = Brouwer MC, Coutinho JM, van de Beek D | title = Clinical characteristics and outcome of brain abscess: systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Neurology | volume = 82 | issue = 9 | pages = 806–813 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24477107 | doi = 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000172 | s2cid = 10654577 }}</ref>

The famous triad of fever, headache and focal neurologic findings are highly suggestive of brain abscess. These symptoms are caused by a combination of increased [[intracranial pressure]] due to a space-occupying lesion (headache, vomiting, confusion, [[coma]]), infection (fever, fatigue etc.) and focal neurologic brain tissue damage ([[hemiparesis]], [[aphasia]] etc.).<ref>{{cite book |vauthors=Bokhari MR, Mesfin FB |chapter=Brain Abscess |date=2022 |chapter-url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441841/ |title=StatPearls |place=Treasure Island (FL) |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |pmid=28722871 |access-date=2022-09-08 |archive-date=2021-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607155322/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441841/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The most frequent presenting symptoms are headache, drowsiness, [[mental confusion|confusion]], [[seizure]]s, hemiparesis or speech difficulties together with fever with a rapidly progressive course. Headache is characteristically worse at night and in the morning, as the intracranial pressure naturally increases when in the [[supine]] position. This elevation similarly stimulates the medullary vomiting center and [[area postrema]], leading to morning vomiting.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Patel K, Clifford DB | title = Bacterial brain abscess | journal = The Neurohospitalist | volume = 4 | issue = 4 | pages = 196–204 | date = October 2014 | pmid = 25360205 | pmc = 4212419 | doi = 10.1177/1941874414540684 }}</ref>

Other symptoms and findings depend largely on the specific location of the abscess in the brain. An abscess in the cerebellum, for instance, may cause additional complaints as a result of [[brain stem]] compression and [[hydrocephalus]]. [[Neurological examination]] may reveal a stiff neck in occasional cases (erroneously suggesting meningitis).{{cn|date=June 2022}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 October 2024 |title=Cerebral Abscess |url=https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/cerebral-abscess |website=Hopkins Medicine}}</ref>