[Brain abscesses in Kinshasa (Republic of Zaïre)]. / Les abcès cérébraux a Kinshasa (République du Zaïre).

Brain abscesses are not as rare as would be thought in Zaire. Within a period of 3 years we met 28 cases at the University Clinics of Kinshasa. Any intracranial neoformation in patient under 20 years of age, should raise suspicion, the more so, if there exist suspicious pathological antecedent. There is much hope nowadays to considerable decrease the mortality rate by applying a more correct therapeutical strategy. In the acute phase, anti-edematous and anti-microbial therapies will be chosen rather than surgical excision. The availability of the Cat Scan represents a large progress in the management of cerebral abscesses, but in our contextes of developing countries; the carotidian arteriography still remains very useful to locate the site of the lesion without great danger for the patients. The availability of the Cat Scan has enabled considerable progress to be made in the management of cerebral abscess, but in the context of Third World medical care the use of carotid arteriography is still a valid method for localizing the lesion without major risks to the patient.