Walsh & Hoyt: Headache Attributable to Intracranial Infections

Headaches that accompany intracranial infections are usually severe. In patients with brain abscesses, the headache may be related more to the mass than to the infectious process. In such cases, the headache is indistinguishable from that caused by neoplasm except that it tends to be more constant. Bacterial meningitis may present fulminantly, with seizures and altered consciousness. Neuro-ophthalmic findings are often limited to those attributable to elevated intracranial pressure (e.g., papilledema, sixth nerve palsy).