Neurológia pre prax 4/2013

Tuberculoma of the brain

Tuberculoma of the brain is among rare causes of intracranial expansions in the Czech Republic. More frequently, there is multifocal brain disease as part of the postprimary form of tuberculosis. A definitive diagnosis can be made based on histopathological and/or bacteriological examination; a probable diagnosis can be made based on improvement in the clinical condition and focal regression after commencing causal therapy with antituberculosis drugs. Following treatment initiation, the prognosis is relatively favorable; the mortality rate is reported to be only 10%. The author presents a case of a 56-year-old female patient with a histologically proved tuberculoma of the brain and recommends to always perform brain biopsy even in older patients who present with isolated or multiple "metastatic" brain disease and with a negative finding of primary extracerebral tumor on comprehensive oncological evaluation.

Keywords: tuberculoma, biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging, expansion.