Spinal Epidural Tuberculoma with Adjacent Vertebral Fracture: A Case Report.

CASE: An 85-year-old woman was transported to our institution due to difficulty in walking. Preoperative imaging showed spinal cord lesions indicative of spinal cord tumor at the T7-8 level, accompanied by T8 vertebral fracture. Intraoperatively, the spinal lesion was suspected to be an epidural abscess; therefore, the capsule was resected, and the abscess was drained. We added pedicle screw fixation at the T6-10 level. Postoperatively, the spinal cord lesion was definitively diagnosed as spinal epidural tuberculoma. CONCLUSION: Spinal epidural tuberculomas should be considered in the treatment of spinal cord lesions causing paralysis attributed to spinal cord compression.

Pituitary tuberculoma with panhypopituitarism masquerading as a pituitary adenoma.

Tuberculosis of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis is extremely uncommon. The presentation of panhypopituitarism in a case of sellar tuberculosis is an even rarer occurrence. We present a case of a 44-year-old man who presented with complaints of headache and right-sided diminution of vision for six months. A hormone profile showed abnormal anterior pituitary assay suggestive of panhypopituitarism. Magnetic Resonance imaging of the brain showed a sellar mass measuring 1.8 × 1.5 × 1.3 cm with suprasellar extension suggestive of a pituitary adenoma. Histopathological examination showed multiple epithelioid cell granulomas along with Langhans giant cells and mixed inflammatory infiltrates against a necrotic background. Zeihl Neelson stain demonstrated the presence of acid-fast bacilli. Thus, a final diagnosis of pituitary tuberculoma was made, and the patient started on antitubercular therapy. It is extremely important to correctly diagnose sellar tuberculosis as the treatment is entirely different, and the patient usually responds well to therapy.

Metastatic and aggressive renal cell carcinoma mimicking a unilateral choroidal tuberculoma.

Ocular metastases from systemic tumors are uncommon. The choroid is the most frequent target, with a preference for elderly individuals. Lung cancer is the predominant primary tumor that metastasizes to the eyes in males, although other ocular conditions such as uveitis and retinal lesions can mimic secondary tumor implants in ocular tissues. On fundoscopy, choroidal metastasis resembles other infectious processes, especially choroidal tuberculoma. Therefore, patients presenting with choroidal masses should undergo detailed clinical examinations, especially if the mass is the first manifestation of a systemic and severe disease. In this report, we describe a young man with a metastatic choroidal tumor secondary to papillary renal cell carcinoma mimicking a unilateral choroidal tuberculoma.

Multifocal choroiditis and choroidal tuberculoma: Signs of presumed ocular tuberculosis.

The diagnosis of OTB (Ocular tuberculosis) is usually difficult to make. Definitive diagnosis requires the identification of M. tuberculosis organisms in ocular tissues or fluids, but samples are often difficult to obtain, and biopsy may be hard to justify. We describe a 50-years-old Maghreb male, who presented a multifocal choroiditis associated with a choroidal tuberculoma on the left eye. Based on positive QuantiFERON-TB-Gold test and suggestive clinical and radiographic findings, a diagnosis of presumed ocular tuberculosis was made. Serial swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and widefield fundus retinographies during subsequent follow-up visits demonstrated the characterization of the atypical tuberculosis presentation and allowed the assessment of response to antitubercular therapy and oral steroids.

A rare case of intramedullary tuberculosis with paraparesis.

Intramedullary tuberculoma (IMT) is considered to be a rare form of spinal tuberculosis (TB). Overall, TB of the central nervous system accounts for approximately 1% of all cases of TB and 50% of these involve the spine. The clinical presentation of spinal intramedullary TB is similar to an intramedullary spinal cord tumor mass. The factors attributable could be malnutrition, poor socioeconomic conditions, and immunodeficiency syndromes. As per the reports, the incidence of primary intramedullary TB is 2 in 100,000 cases among patients with TB. We describe one such patient who presented with progressive asymmetrical paraparesis due to histologically confirmed intraspinal tuberculoma. Paraparesis in spinal IMT is considered to be rare. Hereby, we present the case of a 29-year-old female who presented with asymmetric onset paraparesis of 6 months with associated numbness and tingling began in the left foot 3 months which was ascending in nature. There was no history of stiffness, involuntary movements, flexor spasms, thinning, or fasciculations of muscles. There was a loss of sensation pain, touch, and temperature below L3 with normal reflexes. Power in both the lower limbs was 1/5 as per Medical Research Council (MRC) grading. She underwent a contrast magnetic resonance imaging spine which was suggestive of an intramedullary SOL at D12 vertebral level. The patient underwent surgical intervention with resection of the SOL. Histopathology was confirmed to be an IMT. She was started on Category 1 (antitubercular drugs) and further investigated for primary source, which was found to be negative. We want to emphasize that TB can involve any part of the body. It should be kept as a differential diagnosis of any chronic inflammatory lesion involving the bony skeleton, especially in endemic countries where combined surgical and medical treatment is usually sufficient to provide a cure.

Cerebral Tuberculoma with Mild Posterior Cervical Pain as the Main Symptom Despite Extensive Brain Lesions.

A 59-year-old woman with a diabetes history experienced mild neck pain. A neurological examination revealed only mild neck stiffness. Magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive T2-weighted high-intensity lesions with patchy gadolinium enhancement mainly involving the white matter in the right parietal lobe. A cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed increased protein levels and pleocytosis. While QuantiFERON-TB Gold was positive, computed tomography (CT) and fluorodeoxyglucose on positron emission tomography-CT of the whole body showed no abnormal accumulation, suggesting tuberculosis. A brain biopsy revealed cerebral tuberculoma. As cerebral tuberculoma can show minimal neurological symptoms despite extensive lesions, a cautious examination and early treatment are required to prevent a devastating prognosis.

Clinical features and long-term treatment outcomes in choroidal tuberculoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients with choroidal tuberculoma. METHODS: In this retrospective, observational case series, the medical records of five patients with choroidal tuberculoma who were followed up at a university hospital for at least 6 months were analyzed. RESULTS: Of five patients, one was male and four were female. The overall mean age was 38.0 ± 9.4 years (mean follow-up: 41.2 ± 33.8 months). Tuberculin skin test was performed in three patients, and it was positive in two of them. Interferon-gamma assay was performed in two patients and was positive in all two. Three patients had systemic tuberculosis involving the lung or other organs. Five patients were treated with antitubercular therapy for a period of 9.6 ± 8.6 months. Systemic corticosteroid treatment was performed in 3 patients, with a period of 3.5 ± 0.7 months. One patient with a recurrent vascularized tuberculoma was successfully treated with single intravitreal bevacizumab injection. CONCLUSION: Choroidal tuberculoma can develop without evidence of systemic tuberculosis and can recur despite antitubercular treatment. High index of suspicion is important in early detection, and management of choroidal tuberculoma. In cases of suspected choroidal tuberculoma, positive results on immunological tests would be sufficient to initiate antitubercular therapy even if radiological evidence of systemic tuberculosis is not found. Antitubercular therapy combined with systemic corticosteroids provided favorable results. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor may be considered for highly vascularized choroidal tuberculoma.

Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Vascularized Intraretinal Tuberculoma.

PURPOSE: To report a case of intraretinal tubercular granuloma successfully treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT). METHODS: Retrospective case report. Multimodal imaging was performed at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: The tuberculoma did not regress and did not significantly reduce its exudation after anti-tubercular therapy (ATT), systemic steroid therapy and intravitreal anti-VEGF. Second line treatment with PDT was attempted. The lesion showed a regression with reduced sub-retinal fluid and intra-retinal exudates. A second PDT was performed for reactivation of the lesion 5 months after the first treatment. Further regression of the lesion was observed. CONCLUSION: PDT may be a valuable second-line therapeutic approach for vascularized intraretinal granulomas.

Clinical and Multimodal Imaging Clues in Differentiating Between Tuberculomas and Sarcoid Choroidal Granulomas.

PURPOSE: To compare the differences among clinical, demographic, and multimodal imaging features of choroidal granulomas associated with tuberculosis and sarcoidosis. DESIGN: Retrospective comparative case series. METHODS: Clinical features and fundus imaging, including fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography and optical coherence tomography of patients with tuberculomas and sarcoid choroidal granulomas seen at 3 tertiary care centers, were reviewed. The differences among clinical appearances, including morphology of the lesions (size, shape, extent), vascularity, and multimodal imaging features, were compared. Repeated logistic regression measurements with a multilevel random effects model was used to assess characteristics of individual granulomas that could predict the underlying cause. RESULTS: The study included 47 eyes of 38 patients (22 with tuberculomas and 16 with sarcoid granulomas; total of 138 granulomas). Patients with tuberculomas were significantly younger (33.8 ± 10.1 vs. 48.6 ± 14.3 years, respectively; P = .002), but no sex differences were observed. In comparison with sarcoid granulomas, tuberculomas were solitary (P <.001), intense yellow, lobulated, full thickness, and located in the perivascular region (all P <.001); they were also larger (16.01 ± 9.7 mm2 vs. 2.7 ± 4.5 mm2, respectively; P <.001) and were vascularized (P <.001). Sarcoid granulomas were associated with retinal vasculitis (P = .003) and disc hyperfluorescence (P <.001). Logistic regression showed that multiple granulomas were associated with sarcoidosis (odds ratio [OR]: 3.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.8-6.9; P <.001). Granulomas larger than 6.45 mm2 had the highest area under the receiver operating curves (0.94) for differentiating tuberculomas from sarcoid granulomas. CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculomas and sarcoid choroidal granulomas have various clinical and imaging features that help differentiate between the 2 entities with high predictability and can supplement immunological and radiological tests in a diagnosis.

Unilateral choroidal tuberculoma as an initial manifestation of presumed ocular tuberculosis: a case report / Tuberculoma coroidal unilateral como manifestação inicial de tuberculose ocular presumida: relato de caso

ABSTRACT Choroidal tuberculomas are present in patients with ocular tuberculosis. They usually occur in a patient with previous history of tuberculosis, and are rarely the initial presentation, with no prior systemic manifestations. We present a patient with unilateral choroidal tuberculoma as the initial presentation of presumed ocular tuberculosis, which enabled earlier initiation of treatment.

RESUMO Os tuberculomas de coroide apresentam-se em pacientes com tuberculose ocular. Geralmente, ocorrem em indivíduos com história prévia de tuberculose e raramente têm apresentação inicial sem manifestações sistêmicas anteriores. Relatamos o caso de um paciente com tuberculoma de coroide unilateral com apresentação inicial de tuberculose ocular presumida, permitindo o início mais precoce do tratamento.

[Pseudotumoral ocular tuberculosis: about 2 cases]. / Forme pseudotumorale de tuberculose oculaire: à propos de 2 cas.

Ocular manifestations of tuberculosis are non-specific and polymorphic as they can affect all the tunics of the eye and cause severe visual loss in the absence of early and appropriate treatment. We here report 2 casesof pseudotumoral ocular tuberculosis with favorable outcome under antibacillary treatment; the first patient recently had had spontaneous burst of the eyeball with exit of a burgeoning fleshy and suppurative mass measuring 10cm/6cm, the second patient had granuloma of the ciliary body mimicking melanoma; then we here discuss the clinical and therapeutic particularities of this disease.

Brain Tuberculoma as a Differential Diagnosis of Single Intracranial Lesion: Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB) of the central nervous system (CNS) is considered one of the most severe forms of presentation of the disease. Although only 1% of TB cases involve the CNS, these cases represent around between 5 and 15% of extrapulmonary forms.1,2 Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most frequent form of CNS TB. The granulomas formed in the cerebral tuberculoma may cause hydrocephalus and other symptoms indicative of a CNS mass lesion. In the absence of active TB or TBM, the symptoms may be interpreted as indicative of tumors.3,4 The prognosis is directly related to the early diagnosis and proper treatment installation.5 We report the case of a patient with intracranial hypertension syndrome, expansive mass in the parieto-occipital region, accompanied by a lesion in the rib, initially thought to be a metastatic lesion, although posteriorly diagnosed as a cerebral tuberculoma.

Warthin's tumor with necrotizing tuberculous granulomatous inflammation causing severe facial nerve adhesion in parotid gland: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Warthin's tumor is the second most common tumor arising from the parotid gland, but it rarely occurs concomitantly with tuberculous granulomatous inflammation with only 13 documented case reports in the English literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 82-year-old woman had a left infraauricular mass for approximately 3 years that had significantly increased in size over the previous 1 month. DIAGNOSES: A diagnosis of Warthin's tumor was made by ultrasonography (US)-guided core needle biopsy. Pathological examinations of the specimen obtained by total extirpation confirmed that the tumor was superimposed with tuberculous granuloma. INTERVENTIONS: The core biopsy wound did not heal and there was formation of a skin fistula tract with persistent discharge. During the operation with en bloc resection of the necrotic parotid tumor, adhesion between the branches of the facial nerve was too tight to allow preservation. OUTCOMES: A diagnosis of necrotic Warthin's tumor superimposed with tuberculous granuloma was made. Due to the high-clinical suspicion of tuberculosis (TB) due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, anti-TB chemotherapy was given. LESSONS: Poor wound healing from a core biopsy and formation of a skin fistulous tract with persistent discharge should raise concern regarding potential extrapulmonary tuberculous infection. Although very rare, tuberculous granuloma concomitant with Warthin's tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a parotid mass lesion. Adhesion of branches of the facial nerve should be expected, and sacrifice of the nerve may be planned. This consideration can be explained to the patient in preoperative counseling and planning. Anti-TB chemotherapy should be given in cases with a definite pathological report associated with speculative clinical presentation.

Obstructing Granuloma in Main Pulmonary Trunk.

A patient with main pulmonary artery mass may have severe symptoms and warrants urgent surgical management, whereas in a stable patient with a diagnosis amenable to medical treatment, medical management should be started while monitoring the size of the lesion. We report a case in which the patient experienced severe right heart dysfunction due to obstruction of the main pulmonary artery, diagnosed as a probable thrombus, and the patient was taken for urgent surgical excision, later diagnosed as tuberculoma on histopathologic examination.

Multimodal imaging of a choroidal granuloma as a first sign of tuberculosis.

Choroidal granuloma is rarely seen as the first sign of tuberculosis(TB). Here we report a case of a 34-year old male with a choroidal mass which was associated with serous retinal detachment on EDI-OCT and the "contact sign" between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium. We analysed the macular microvascular features of tuberculoma with Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography(OCTA). After 3 months of antituberculosis treatment, we observed the shrinkage of granuloma with permanent changes of macular microvasculature in deep capillary plexus and choriocapillaris. In conclusion, OCT-A may provide useful information about the retinal microvascular involvement in patients with choroidal tuberculoma.

Resolution of Large Choroidal Tuberculoma following Monotherapy with Intravitreal Ranibizumab.

Background: Ocular tuberculosis can have protean manifestations. Anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) and oral steroids are employed in the management of this condition. There is evidence in the literature which has highlighted the use of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs as an adjunct to systemic therapy.Report of the Case: A 44-year-old male presented with a decrease of vision in the right eye was diagnosed choroidal tuberculoma with massive exudation and subretinal fluid. The patient was treated with intravitreal ranibizumab injection. The lesion regressed completely within 6 weeks without any additional systemic corticosteroids and ATT without any recurrence over 6 months during follow-up.Conclusions: Ranibizumab monotherapy may lead in complete regression of vascularized tubercular choroidal granulomas without the need of adjunctive ATT and corticosteroids. After intravitreal injection of ranibizumab, the lesion may be observed for regression over several weeks.