Brain tuberculosis in a young patient

Abstract

Tuberculosis of the central nervous system accounts forapproximately 5% of all cases of extrapulmonary tubercu-losis, mainly in the form of meningitis. Tuberculomas areuncommon entities. We present the case of a 37 year oldwoman with intracerebral lesions. Toxoplasmosis and neu-rocysticercosis were considered as possible etiologies, butspecific treatment administration did not produce anyresults. There were no data suggesting a metastatic origin.Biopsy was unavailable. Five months later the patientdeveloped tuberculous pleuritis wich suggested that intrac-erebral lesions could be tuberculomas. This diagnosis wasconfirmed by the results of antituberculous treatment the :intracerebral lesions disappeared on the fourth month oftherapy. This case shows that tuberculomas should be keptin mind in the differential diagnosis of intracerebral masses.