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Subdural Empyema - Best Hospitals, Doctors, Prices - Booking Health

Treatment of Subdural Empyema

Subdural empyema | Information about hospitals and doctors | Rankings | Clinics | Prices | Send request to the hospital

Best hospitals and doctors for subdural empyema treatment abroad

Leading hospitals

Cost for treatment

Surgical removal of subdural empyema
17823.17
Neurological rehabilitation Phase C
0.00
According to the authoritative Focus magazine, the Charite University Hospital Berlin occupies the first place in the rating of the top German medical facilities! The hospital is one of the largest and leading university medical complexes in Europe. The hospital in Germany provides modern diagnostics and treatment of patients, a
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The University Hospital Freiburg is famous for its rich history and is one of the oldest and most prestigious medical facilities in Germany (one of the three best medical institutions in the country). The hospital was based on the Faculty of Medicine of the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, which celebrated its 550th anniver
According to the reputable Focus magazine, the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main ranks among the top German medical facilities! The hospital was founded in 1914 and today is a well-known German medical facility, which combines rich traditions and scientific innovations. A medical team of more than 6,500 employees cares about
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According to the Focus magazine in 2019, the University Hospital Würzburg ranks among the top national German hospitals! The hospital is one of the oldest medical facilities in Germany. The centuries-old traditions of first-class treatment are combined with the very latest achievements of modern evidence-based medicine and
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University Hospital Bonn

University Hospital Bonn

Overall rating9.2 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine, the University Hospital Bonn ranks among the top ten medical facilities in Germany! The hospital was opened on January 1, 2001, although in fact it inherits the medical facility, which operated at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bonn. The hospital in Germany combin
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According to the reputable Focus magazine, the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden ranks among the top five German hospitals! The hospital is the benchmark for modern high-quality medicine. Positioning itself as a maximum care medical facility, the hospital represents all medical fields. There are 26 specialized depart
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According to the Focus magazine, University Hospital Erlangen ranks among the best medical facilities in Germany! The hospital is one of the leading healthcare facilities in Bavaria and offers top-class medical care distinguished by the close intertwining of clinical activities with research and training of medical students. The
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According to the Focus magazine, the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf ranks among the top ten hospitals in Germany! Since its foundation in 1889, the hospital has taken a leading position in the European medical arena and still occupies it until today. A highly competent medical team of more than 11,000 employees takes care
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University Hospital Ulm

University Hospital Ulm

Overall rating8.7 / 10
The University Hospital Ulm is an advanced medical complex that provides patients with high-class medical care using the very latest scientific achievements. The medical facility has been performing successful clinical activities for more than 40 years and has long earned an excellent reputation throughout Europe. The hospital r
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According to Focus magazine, the University Hospital Heidelberg ranks among the top five hospitals in Germany! The hospital is one of the most advanced and reputable medical institutions not only in Germany, but throughout Europe. There are more than 43 specialized departments and 13 medical institutes, which cover all fields of
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University Hospital Essen

University Hospital Essen

Overall rating9.6 / 10
According to the authoritative Focus magazine the University Hospital Essen ranks among the top German hospitals! With 27 specialized departments and 24 institutes, the hospital in Germany is a maximum care medical facility. The hospital has 1,300 beds for inpatient treatment. A highly qualified medical team of more than 6,000 e
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University Hospital Jena

University Hospital Jena

Overall rating8.9 / 10
According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital Jena regularly ranks among the top German medical facilities! The hospital has positioned itself as a multidisciplinary medical facility with a long history of more than 200 years. Since its foundation, the hospital has been constantly developing and modernizin
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According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital Halle (Saale) ranks among the top German medical facilities! The history of the hospital has more than 300 years, and during this time it managed to earn an excellent reputation not only in Germany, but throughout the world. The hospital positions itself as a s
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According to the Focus magazine, the University Hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich is regularly ranked among the best medical institutions in Germany! The hospital is the largest multidisciplinary medical facility, as well as a leading research and training center in Germany and Europe. The hospital is proud of i
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The University Hospital Marburg UKGM offers patients modern diagnostics and comprehensive therapy at the international level. As a maximum care hospital, the medical facility specializes in all fields of modern medicine ranging from ophthalmology to traumatology and dentistry. The main areas of specialization of the hospital are
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The University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich was founded in 1834. It combines long traditions with the very latest advances in modern medicine. The medical facility includes 33 specialized departments and 20 interdisciplinary centers, where patients can receive top-class medical care in all medical fields. The hospital annuall
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About the disease

An empyema is an abscess, which is the accumulation of pus in an anatomical cavity. A subdural empyema is a subtype of empyema, and forms in the subdural area outside the brain.

Subdural space can form as a result of a separation of the membranes that connect the brain and spinal cord. Such separation usually occurs after trauma or if there is not enough cerebrospinal fluid in the patient’s brain. Membrane separation can also be a pathological process.

95% of subdural empyema cases develop in the cranium and sometimes in the frontal lobe or spinal neuraxis. According to American website Medscape, subdural empyema accounts for 15-22% of all intracranial infections. Before the introduction of penicillin, this disease was terminal. These days, survival rates are a lot better. In developed countries, the mortality rate reaches 6-35% depending on the time of diagnosis and when the treatment began.   

Subdural empyema is most often caused by infectious diseases such as meningitis, otitis and mastoiditis. Infection usually spreads throughout the whole subdural space. If not treated, it can also affect the middle ear and sphenoid sinus.

For reasons as yet unclear, 80% of subdural empyema cases occur in males, predominantly in children and middle-aged men.

Symptoms

  • Fever
  • Headaches
  • Blurred vision
  • Nausea
  • Torpor
  • Drowsiness
  • Difficulty speaking and forming thoughts

Diagnosis

  • A blood test is conducted to determine the number of white and red blood cells.
  • MRI and other imaging tests provide precise images of the intracranial area and show if there are hypodense holes or formations, which could indicate empyema.
  • A cranial CT scan is also widely used, as it generates contrast-enhanced images of the hemispheres, where the brain margins are distinctly delineated.

Treatment

In most cases, patients are recommended to undergo the surgical removal of the subdural empyema once it has been found. Before the surgery, a patient needs to submit a liver function test and get prepared. The following are surgical procedures to treat subdural empyema:

  • A craniotomy is used to assess and remove the empyema. A section of skull is removed to gain access to the brain.
  • Neurosurgical drainage is used if the patient’s condition is critical and immediate treatment is required. During this procedure, the empyema is drained completely.
  • Debridement, which is the removal of infected tissue, is also used to eliminate empyema.

If there are contraindications to surgery, the patient may be prescribed only antibiotics. 

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda IvanisovaDr. Farrukh Ahmed