Intracranial abscess is also known as actinomycosis (“lumpy jaw”), an infection and chronic disease mainly of the face and neck characterized by abscess formation (collections of pus), tissue damage and draining sinuses causing tracks in the skin.  The bacterium infects the soft tissues through trauma, surgery or another infection.   Intracranial abscess is a common symptom occurring in the brain from complications of a sinus infection or bone infection of the skull.   

Patients with lumpy jaw may benefit from adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy’s ability to:

• Increase oxygen tension levels in infection tissue.

• Help stop infection by killing anaerobic bacteria including those causing actinomycosis.

• Control swelling.

• Allow infection-fighting white blood cells to do their job by increasing oxygen to the affected tissues.

WHEN TO REFER TO HYOX:

• When the abscess doesn’t show response to surgical incision and drainage coupled with antibiotic treatment.