Intracranial Tuberculoma Mimicking Neurosarcoidosis: A Clinical Challenge

Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis is a rare manifestation of all tuberculosis presentations. The incidence of brain tuberculoma is increasing in developed countries due to HIV infection and immigration from tuberculosis-endemic countries. Symptoms and radiologic findings of CNS tuberculosis can be non-specific and lead to misdiagnosis or mistreatment. Intracranial tuberculoma can present with a seizure, intracranial hypertension, or focal neurologic symptoms. In our case, the diagnosis was challenging between neurosarcoidosis and intracranial tuberculoma due to inconclusive results of stereotactic brain biopsy and clinical presentation. The pathology result of the open brain biopsy revealed non-caseating granuloma. Finally, we were able to diagnose intracranial tuberculoma following acid-fast bacilli culture results of open brain biopsy. This report highlights the importance of including intracranial tuberculoma in the differential diagnosis of cerebral space-occupying lesions, even in patients with negative laboratory findings of tuberculosis.

Intracranial tuberculoma and the challenges of global neurosurgery

In a world of increasing globalisation, Neurosurgeons need to be able to diagnose and treat neurosurgical conditions which may not be common to the local population. To illustrate this, we describe the case of an intracranial tuberculoma presenting in the post-partum period. Tuberculosis (TB) is a widely recognised mimic of other conditions, including high grade gliomas, which can result in diagnostic delays. We highlight clinical features that should increase the index of suspicion for TB and create a low threshold for trial of empirical treatment. We also discuss educational partnership strategies that may help facilitate global perspectives in neurosurgical training.

Racemose Pattern of Intracranial Tuberculoma at the Basal, Suprasellar and Perimesencephalic Cisterns – A Case Report

Central nervous system tuberculosis may present as meningitis, tuberculoma, abscesses, cerebritis or miliary tuberculosis. The most common site of tuberculoma has been reported to be at the grey-white matter junction and the periventricular region. They may even be found in the epidural, subdural and subarachnoid spaces, and the brain stem. Although tuberculosis is very common in developing countries, with the increasing prevalence of immunosuppression owing to human immunodeficiency virus and patients surviving chemotherapy or organ transplantation, the incidence of tubercular infections has been rising in developed countries. The authors report a 15-year-old boy of intracranial tuberculoma at the basal, suprasellar and perimesencephalic cisterns in a patient. Tuberculous involvement was noted in a racemose pattern in the subarachnoid space. The patient’s clinical symptoms resolved with no recurrence of symptoms but only persistence of the radiological abnormality after antitubercular chemotherapy.

Presentation and outcome of patients with intracranial tuberculoma in a high HIV prevalence setting

SETTING: A referral hospital in South Africa.OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation, serial brain imaging findings during treatment and outcome of patients with intracranial tuberculoma in a high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence setting.DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study conducted over a 12.5-year period. Records of adults (age ≥18 years) who presented with neurological TB were screened. We included patients with tuberculoma in whom sequential brain imaging was performed.RESULTS: Of 66 patients enrolled, HIV status was known in 61; 47 (71%) were HIV-infected and 14 (21%) were non-HIV-infected. Clinical and imaging findings and outcomes were similar between these groups. Persistent tuberculoma was present at 18 months follow-up in 20/41 (49%) patients who underwent repeat imaging at that timepoint; those with persistent tuberculoma were more likely to have persisting neurological abnormalities (85% vs. 52%; P = 0.043). Larger tuberculoma size at presentation (≥3 cm) was the only factor significantly associated with tuberculoma persistence (multivariable logistic regression, OR 19.9, 95%CI 1.27–309.68; P = 0.033).CONCLUSION: Tuberculoma is a severely disabling TB manifestation regardless of HIV coinfection, with half of patients showing radiologically persistent lesions at 18 months follow-up. Large size of tuberculoma at presentation heralds lower chance of its resolution within 18 months.

A surgical case of cerebellar tuberculoma caused by a paradoxical reaction while on therapy for tuberculosis spondylitis

Background: A paradoxical reaction (PR) is a phenomenon in which the primary tuberculous lesion worsens or another de novo tuberculous lesion appears while on anti-tuberculosis therapy. Here, we report a rare case of cerebellar tuberculoma caused by a PR during therapy for lumbar tuberculous spondylitis (Pott’s disease). Case Description: A 47-year-old male with human immunodeficiency virus seronegative was diagnosed with lumber tuberculous spondylitis (Pott’s disease) and prescribed anti-tuberculous agents. His lower back pain and inflammatory condition recovered after initiation of anti-tuberculous therapy. Two months later, he complained of headache, nausea, and staggering. Magnetic resonance images revealed a ring-enhanced lesion located at the cerebellar hemisphere extending to the vermis, which caused perifocal edema and bilateral ventriculomegaly. These findings were consistent with his symptoms of hydrocephalus. He did not have preceding clinical findings of meningitis, and a PR was suggested to cause de novo aggregation of cerebellar tuberculoma. A lesionectomy was performed, and the surgical specimen was pathologically diagnosed as a tuberculoma. He recovered well from neurological disorders after the resection. Conclusion: De novo formation of intracranial tuberculoma alone caused by a PR without preceding meningitis is very rare. Lesionectomy is needed for intracranial tuberculoma, which manifests as a mass effect, as well as antituberculous therapy.