Abstract
Infectious diseases of the CNS are classified into diffuse and focal forms. The diffuse lesions are related to the involved compartment, such as meningitis, meningoencephalitis, encephalitis, myelitis, radiculomyelitis, or myeloencephalitis. The focal lesions mainly correspond to granulomas, suppurative collections, and cysts. Diffuse lesions are mainly encountered in neurological practice, whereas focal lesions are found in neurosurgery. Classically, cranial and spinal infections are arranged by the anatomical location involved. The development of these diseases requires a good knowledge of the pathogens implicated, patients predisposing factors and comorbidities, sources of infections, and mechanisms of spread. Although the most common origin of neurosurgical infections is non-specific bacteria, the role of other microorganisms should not be overlooked. The particular topic of postoperative cranial and spinal infections is also considered.
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Akhaddar, A. (2017). Classification and Sources of Infections. In: Atlas of Infections in Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60086-4_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60086-4_1
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