Use infarct size, mass effect, and neurologic decline to decide when surgical decompression is time-critical. When the chapter shifts to aneurysm, remember that infection can be the underlying cause, not just a vascular accident.

Conventional digital subtraction cerebral angiography remains the absolute premier diagnostic tool; They are relatively rare, appearing in fewer than 15% of confirmed endocarditis cases; They are caused by localized bacterial infections, most frequently streptococcal species, though rare fungal pathogens like Aspergillus can also be responsible; Very few individuals in the surgical cohort managed to achieve a truly good, independent functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 3; Although the randomized trial was terminated early, the data suggested that the primary benefit of a decompressive craniectomy was purely a reduction in mortality and severe dependency