This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (18)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Ralph O. Dunker, MD; Rashida A. Khakoo, MD

JAMA. 1981;246(10):1116-1118.

Abstract
Subdural empyema is a serious infection with a high mortality. The patients at risk either are known to have suppurative sinusitis or otitis or are being treated for these conditions. The clinical syndrome includes fever, headache, and focal neurological deficits, with seizures in a high percentage of cases. The course of the infection may be fulminant and may be confused with meningoencephalitis or cerebritis. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention are essential elements in treatment. There is a disturbing tendency for computed tomographic (CT) scans to fail to demonstrate acute subdural empyemas. Based on this experience, the diagnosis of subdural empyema must not be abandoned merely because of a nondiagnostic CT scan.

(JAMA 1981;246:1116-1118)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Neurosurgery (Dr Dunker) and Medicine (Dr Khakoo), West Virginia Medical Center, Morgantown.

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Medical Center, Morgantown, WV 26506 (Dr Dunker).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Subdural Empyema: Clinical and Computed Tomographic Correlations
Weisberg
Arch Neurol 1986;43:497-500.
ABSTRACT