brain abscess [AS, bragen + L, abscedere, to go away] , a pocket of infection in a part of the brain. It is usually a result of the spread of an infection from another source, such as the skull, sinuses, or other structures in the head. The infection also may be secondary to a disease in the bones, the nervous system outside the brain, or the heart. Also called cerebral abscess, intracranial abscess.
