A solitary abscess of the medulla oblongata.

A neuropathological description is presented of a solitary giant abscess located in the oblongate medulla of a child aged two. This abscess destroyed almost all the morphological structures in the medulla and caused considerable constriction and translocation of the IVth ventricle. Apart from the exceptional occurrence of an abscess in this brain region, the interesting features of this case are the slow development of the abscess (probably 8 months) and the existence of a well-formed connective tissue capsule, demarcating the lesion from its surroundings. The diagnostic difficulties and clinical and histopathological correlation are also discussed.