Forty-seven surgically confirmed cases of brain abscess treated from 1988 to 1992 are described. The most common cause was chronic ear infection with abscesses in the cerebellum and the temporo-parietal area. Patients in the second and third decade of life were most frequently affected. Clinical manifestation at the time of admission were headaches, vomiting and fever. Bacteriology revealed a predominance of microaerophilic streptococcus and staphylococcus aureus among the aerobes and peptostreptococcus sp. among the anaerobes. Majority were sensitive to Penicillin G and Chloramphenicol. Computerized tomographic scanning was the sole diagnostic procedure done with 100% accuracy. Excision was done on well encapsulated abscesses. The non-encapsulated ones were aspirated and drained. The overall mortality rate was 15 percent.(Author)