ArticleBrain & spine2026
Postoperative brain abscesses and infections after neurosurgery: Clinical characteristics, risk profiles, microbiological findings, and longitudinal DWI and ADC MRI analysis.
Article in Brain & spine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Postoperative surgical site infections (brain abscesses and empyemas) are serious complications after neurosurgical procedures and differ from primary abscesses regarding risk factors, pathogen spectrum, and clinical course. Research question: What are the clinical characteristics, laboratory and microbiological profiles, and longitudinal DWI/ADC imaging changes of postoperative surgical site infections, and which factors are associated with patient outcome? Material and methods: This retrospective single-center study included patients treated for postoperative surgical site infections between 2014 and 2024. Demographics, surgical methods, comorbidities, neurological scales (GCS, KPS, GOS, mRS), laboratory markers (CRP, leukocytes, IL-6), antibiotic therapy, and microbiology were analyzed. Serial MRI with DWI and ADC quantification was evaluated preoperatively and at three postoperative time points (within 7 days, 4-12 weeks, and last follow-up). Results: 113 patients (55 males, 58 females) had a mean age of 56.8 ± 15.1 years and underwent 361 surgeries (3.2/patient); bone flap removal was necessary in 73.5%. The presence of a diffusion restriction decreased from 60.4% preoperatively to 16.1% at final follow-up, accompanied by a significant postoperative ADC increase. Infections most frequently followed surgery for glioma (37.2%) and meningioma (22.1%). Staphylococci and Gram-negative bacteria predominated; polymicrobial infections were frequent. Mean total antibiotic duration was 48.0 ± 25.9 days (epidural infections) and 44.1 ± 19.3 days (subdural infections) (p=0.4). Discussion and conclusion: Postoperative surgical site infections exhibit distinct microbiology and risk patterns. Combined surgical revision and targeted prolonged antibiotics are essential. Longitudinal DWI and ADC quantification serve as objective imaging biomarkers for monitoring abscess activity and treatment response.
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.