A clinical study of miliary brain tuberculomas in China.

A clinical study of miliary brain tuberculomas in China. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2015 Aug 7; Authors: Yang M, Zhang JT, Yao Y, Tan QC, Gao T, Tian CL, Huang X, Yu SY Abstract Brain tuberculomas can exhibit many different clinical and radiological patterns. However, disseminated or military brain tuberculomas are very rare. Miliary brain tuberculomas have specific clinical prognostic implications. Seven patients diagnosed with miliary brain tuberculomas between December 2004 and August 2012 were evaluated retrospectively. Their clinical features, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were reviewed.The median patient age was 42 years (range, 22-66 years). Six patients presented with a fever, five with headache, four with papilledema, and three with diplopia. MRI studies revealed multiple brain lesions. There were 20-50 lesions at the same level on MRI. These lesions measured approximately 2-4 mm in diameter and exhibited ring or nodular enhancement after gadolinium injection. All patients began to recover within 2 weeks after beginning antitubercular therapy (ATT). The number of lesions on MRI decreased by half within 1 month, and all had healed with no any sequelae after 18 months of regular ATT. Miliary brain tuberculomas are rare forms of central nervous system tuberculosis. Some special characteristics of miliary brain tuberculomas are as follows. First, mild atypical clinical manifestations a...
Source: Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tags: Jpn J Infect Dis Source Type: research