A brain abscess is a serious medical condition that occurs when an infected area of the brain becomes filled with pus. It is a life-threatening situation that requires prompt medical attention. In the medical world, the term is often interchanged with cerebral abscess, intracranial abscess or encephalitic abscess. Some other common synonyms include pus-filled lesion, brain boil, brain pocket, abscessed brain, cerebral boil and brain cyst. Regardless of the term used, the key takeaway is that when dealing with any type of brain abscess, timely medical intervention is essential to prevent permanent damage or potentially fatal outcomes.