Final answer:
Patients with a brain abscess can present with severe headache, fever, confusion, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and a stiff neck. Symptoms can escalate to more serious conditions including seizures, coma, and death. Early recognition and treatment are critical to prevent rapid deterioration and complications such as hearing loss.
Step-by-step explanation:
The presenting symptoms seen in patients with a brain abscess can be varied and often mimic those of both meningitis and encephalitis. Common symptoms include a severe headache, fever, and confusion. Patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, photophobia (sensitivity to light), and a stiff neck.
As the condition progresses, symptoms may intensify leading to seizures, personality changes, and may also include altered mental states like confusion, memory deficits, and signs resembling dementia. More severe complications include coma and death if not treated promptly and effectively.
In severe cases of infection where the condition is systemic, such as with bacterial meningitis, additional signs can occur including hemorrhaging and purpuric lesions on the skin, followed by life-threatening conditions such as shock and convulsions. Recognizing these symptoms early is crucial as rapid deterioration can happen, sometimes in the span of just a few hours.
Less common but potentially serious symptoms might also involve the peripheral structures, leading to complications such as hearing loss due to nerve damage from the inflammation.