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Intracranial tuberculous abscess mimicking malignant glioma

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Abstract

Brain abscess is probably the least common manifestation of tuberculous infection of the central nervous system; meningitis and tuberculoma are much more common.

A case of tuberculous brain abscess in a 23-year-old man with previous history of Tbc meningitis is presented. The computerized tomographic scan demonstrated a unilocular space-occupying lesion in the left thalamic region, surrounded by a thick hyperdense enhancing rim. It is suggested that a relatively long clinical history and previous Tbc meningitis history together with the appearance of a thick-walled abscesslike lesion on the CT scan may indicate the diagnosis of a tuberculous brain abscess. Only after neurosurgical removal of the abscess, the pathohistological examination reveal tuberculous etiology of the abscess. The patient later died from aspiration bronchopneumonia. Only 28 instances of tuberculous abscess have been reported in the literature.

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İldan, F., Gürsoy, F., Gül, B. et al. Intracranial tuberculous abscess mimicking malignant glioma. Neurosurg. Rev. 17, 317–320 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306826

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306826

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