Background and Aim: Intraventricular empyema (IVE), a rare and life-threatening neurological infection, challenges healthcare providers due to its complexity and limited data on optimal management. This scoping review seeks to bridge the existing literature gap by systematically summarizing current knowledge, identifying consensus, and highlighting research opportunities.
Methods and Materials/Patients: The inclusion criteria included all ages diagnosed with IVE based on the population, concept, and context (PCC) framework. The search strategy involved utilizing keywords and controlled vocabulary terms in databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The study selection process adhered to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, with data extraction and mapping performed to summarize key information from the literature, including demographics, symptoms, treatment modalities, and outcomes
Results: Analysis of 12 articles shows that IVE predominantly affects men between the ages of 17 to 81 years, with various symptoms, including headaches, fever, and neurological issues. Infections are found in multiple ventricular sites, often complicated by drug-resistant strains and negative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures. While surgical interventions, such as ventriculostomy are common, conservative treatments also show favorable outcomes, emphasizing the need for tailored management and timely interventions in optimizing patient outcomes for central nervous system (CNS) infections.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the diagnosis and management of intraventricular infections necessitate a multidisciplinary approach involving clinical evaluation, imaging, and therapeutic interventions. Imaging features like ventricular debris on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) aid diagnosis, supplemented by other modalities, such as nuclear scintigraphy. CSF analysis is crucial, highlighting increased leukocyte counts and commonly implicated pathogens like gram-negative organisms and Streptococcus species.