Epidemiology
Prevalence is highest in adult men younger than 30 years, while paediatric disease occurs most frequently in children ages 4 to 7 years. Neonates comprise a third at-risk group. One systematic review found a male to female ratio of 2.4:1 and a mean age of 34 years.[2] Geographical and seasonal variations do not play a major role. Worldwide prevalence is greater in areas with high rates of HIV infection. Within the industrialised world, brain abscesses make up only a small percentage of space-occupying intracranial lesions, which are mostly caused by primary and metastatic tumours. Approximately 2500 cases of cerebral abscess are diagnosed annually in the US.[3][4]
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