ArticleActa neurochirurgica2026
Imaging-based predictors of progression in brain abscess: the role of loculation and ADC gradient.
Article in Acta neurochirurgica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeBrain abscess remains a life-threatening condition despite advances in neurosurgical and antimicrobial therapy, and reliable imaging-based markers to guide postoperative risk stratification and surveillance remain limited. This study aimed to identify clinical and radiographic factors associated with abscess progression in neurosurgically treated patients, with particular emphasis on the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) gradient.
methodsWe retrospectively reviewed 53 patients with brain abscess who underwent neurosurgical treatment at Gachon University Gil Medical Center between January 2005 and April 2025. Clinical characteristics, microbiology, surgical approach, and imaging findings were analyzed. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with progression. ADC gradients were evaluated as continuous variables and dichotomized using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC)-derived cutoff.
resultsThe cohort included 38 men and 15 women, with a median age of 56.4 years. During a mean follow-up of 28.0 months, progression occurred in 17 patients (32%). Abscess loculation was significantly associated with progression in univariable analysis. Absolute ADC values at baseline or during follow-up were not predictive. ROC analysis demonstrated good discriminatory performance of the ADC gradient (AUC 0.857), with higher gradients associated with a significantly reduced risk of progression. The ADC gradient remained independently associated with progression in multivariable analysis.
conclusionAbscess loculation and the ADC gradient are radiographic features associated with progression in surgically managed brain abscess and may serve as useful imaging markers for clinical monitoring. Incorporation of ADC gradient assessment into postoperative imaging surveillance may help identify cases with a higher likelihood of treatment resistance and support clinical decision-making. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution given the retrospective and single-center design of the study, and further validation in prospective multicenter cohorts is needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.