Worker saved from rare brain infection

Ras Al Khaimah Hospital announced that a team of doctors successfully treated a critical medical case, saving the life of a 32-year-old Indian worker who was diagnosed with a rare, rapidly growing brain abscess.

This is a painful collection of pus within brain tissue caused by a serious infection that can lead to life-threatening complications if treatment is delayed.

The patient underwent emergency surgery that saved his life and prevented his condition from worsening.

He had been suffering from a severe headache, accompanied by neck pain and a high fever for over a week. The neurosurgery team performed a delicate procedure known as an inferior occipital osteotomy, during which a portion of the skull was temporarily removed to drain the abscess.

The patient’s condition stabilised within a few hours, and he recovered within days and returned to his daily life without any symptoms.

The hospital explained that the patient arrived at the emergency department suffering from a high fever and neck stiffness, symptoms that could indicate an infection directly affecting the brain.

An MRI scan revealed a mass in the cerebellum, the part responsible for motor coordination and balance, raising suspicions of abnormal growth or local inflammation.

The patient’s condition deteriorated within a short period of time, and further tests revealed a brain abscess, a pus-filled sac caused by a specific infection and surrounded by acute inflammatory swelling. Doctors confirmed that if the condition had not been treated promptly, it could have progressed to meningitis, hydrocephalus, stroke or even death.

Dr. Tenku Kurisinkal, Consultant Neurosurgeon at the hospital, said that brain abscesses are a condition that can progress rapidly and a ruptured abscess can spread the infection throughout the brain and bloodstream.

The rapid progression of the infection and possible misdiagnosis can increase the severity of the condition, especially since symptoms of neck pain and headache are often attributed to common problems, such as osteoarthritis of the spine, he said.

However, the presence of fever along with these symptoms was a clear indicator that required caution and precision, he added, noting that thanks to the vigilance of the medical team and the timely conduct of the required tests, the condition was accurately diagnosed and the surgery was performed immediately, saving the patient’s life. According to hospital doctors, brain abscesses, albeit rare, can occur when an infection from other parts of the body, such as ear infections, sinuses, or untreated teeth infections, spreads to the brain via the bloodstream.

The most prominent warning symptoms include a severe, persistent headache, chronic fever, neck stiffness, and nausea.

Some people mistake these symptoms for migraines or cervical spondylosis, leading to delayed diagnosis and worsening of the condition due to the use of painkillers without consulting a specialist.