Decompressive Craniectomy and Duraplasty in Severe Bacterial Encephalitis

Introduction: Severe encephalitis may be associated with brain oedema and elevation of intracranial pressure. The control of intracranial pressure is crucial to combat a fatal course. If conventional therapy fails, in cerebral infarction or severe head injury decompressive craniectomy is used with increasing frequency. Even in children encouraging results of this procedure are published. There are, however, only few reports published concerning operative therapy of elevated intracranial pressure in encephalitis.