1/7. Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma: a case report.STUDY DESIGN: A case report showing an intramedullary thoracic spinal tuberculoma secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis in a 16-year-old patient with findings of subacute spinal cord compression. OBJECTIVES: The significance and the use of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of intramedullary tuberculoma, and the treatment of the patient that involves surgically the excision of intramedullary lesion followed by appropriate antituberculous therapy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Tuberculomas of spinal cord are rare entities. The possibility of intramedullary tuberculoma should be seriously considered when an intraspinal mass is found, provided that pulmonary tuberculosis is present in the history of the patient. METHOD: Th4-Th5 laminectomy was performed. Intramedullary tuberculoma was excised through a myelotomy. Antituberculous treatment was applied after the surgery. RESULTS: Excellent clinical outcome was obtained with a combination of both medical and surgical treatments. CONCLUSION: The intramedullary spinal tuberculoma, although a rare entity, must be considered in the differential diagnosis of the spinal cord compression in patients with a history of tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus, and those who have a bad socioeconomic condition and bad nutrition habit. When confronted with a progressing neurologic deficit, a combination of microsurgical resection and antituberculous chemotherapy with the avoidance of steroids should be the choice of treatment for intramedullary tuberculomas.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/7. Intracranial and spinal tuberculosis requiring neurosurgical intervention. The Wellington Hospital experience 1998-2001.AIMS: To describe the Wellington Neurosurgical Unit's recent experience of managing tuberculosis between January 1998 and January 2001. methods: patients with microbiologically confirmed tuberculosis of the central nervous system and whose management included surgery are described. Personal recall and review of the hospital records were used to extract relevant data. RESULTS: Five patients were identified. As well as involvement of the brain parenchyma, meninges, spinal cord or spinal column, all had evidence of tuberculosis elsewhere. All but one patient deteriorated neurologically after being started on antituberculous chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The number of patients presenting with neurotuberculosis appears to have increased recently in the Wellington region. The high proportion of paradoxical progression in our series is unusual. Neurosurgical intervention may be required for diagnosis, to treat hydrocephalus, or to relieve mass effect. Management is prolonged and often complex, and close co-operation is required between the neurosurgical team and a physician experienced in the management of tuberculosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.6keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/7. Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma--case report.A healthy 33-year-old man presented with an intramedullary tuberculoma of the thoracic spinal cord manifesting as a 2-month history of progressive paraparesis and sphincter dysfunction. magnetic resonance imaging showed ring enhancement of the intramedullary thoracic lesion with perifocal edema. General physical examination was unremarkable with no signs of inflammation except for a positive finding by the tuberculin skin test. Total resection of the intramedullary mass was performed through a posterior myelotomy following T11-12 laminectomy. Histological examination revealed a granulomatous lesion that contained Langhans giant cells, inflammatory cells, and caseating necrosis. Acid-fast bacilli staining of the specimens was positive, and cultures grew mycobacterium tuberculosis. Postoperatively, the paraparesis and sphincter dysfunction improved sufficiently for the patient to return to his ordinary activities. Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma is rare, but must be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord compression.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.7keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/7. Intramedullary tuberculoma mimicking primary CNS lymphoma.The incidence of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) has been on the rise in the setting of immunodeficiency syndromes such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Its diagnosis has been facilitated by the advent of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) PCR assay. The reported high sensitivity and specificity of this assay has made it the cornerstone of diagnosis of PCNSL, replacing more traditional methods such as an open CNS biopsy. Here, we have described a patient with a known history of C3 AIDS presenting with lower extremity weakness and eventual myelopathy who was later diagnosed as having intramedullary PCNSL after detection of EBV dna in his CSF. After failing to respond to radiotherapy, he underwent a spinal cord biopsy revealing intramedullary tuberculoma. This case illustrates the risk of misdiagnosis with this assay and the importance of histological confirmation of a pathological lesion prior to implementation of therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.2keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/7. Tuberculosis: an uncommon cause of cerebral venous thrombosis?Several infectious etiologies are related to cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), but a review of literature showed only few cases related to tuberculosis (TB), and only one with neurological manifestations.We report an unusual case of CVT related to TB and mutation in prothrombin gene. A 38-man black presented abrupt right hemiparestesis, and hemiparesis. Investigations revealed CVT. Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) examination evidenced an infection by Mycobacterium. He was heterozygous for G20210A prothrombin mutation. Probably, hypercoagulability mechanisms of TB, added to mutation of prothrombin gene increase the risk of CVT.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.1keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/7. Intradural spinal tuberculosis in the absence of vertebral or meningeal tuberculosis: a case report.We present a patient with spinal intradural tuberculosis in the absence of both vertebral and meningeal tuberculosis. diagnosis was made based on intra-operative findings and was confirmed by histopathology. Early surgical decompression along with a combination of steroid and antitubercular therapy resulted in a good outcome. At 26-month follow-up, the patient regained bladder control and was able to walk with support. Clinical features, magnetic resonance imaging, and intra-operative findings are described. pathology and the relevant literature are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/7. An intradural extramedullary tuberculoma of the spinal cord in a non-hiv-infected patient: case report and review of the literature.Spinal tuberculomas are extrapulmonary manifestations of tuberculosis involving the central nervous system. They are characterized as extradural, intradural extramedullary, or intradural, according to their location. Intradural extramedullary tuberculomas are extremely rare. There have been only 24 case reports found in English language literature. Our case is the only documented intradural extramedullary tuberculoma in a non-hiv-infected patient in north america. A literature review using a medline search from 1966 to the present is performed to characterize the clinical spectrum of the three types of tuberculomas and review the diagnosis and management of this potentially curable disease. An analysis of the cases of intradural extramedullary tuberculomas published since 1984 is performed to highlight the unique characteristics of this rare disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.4keywords = spinal (Clic here for more details about this article) |