central nervous system (CNS) tuberculoma

Etiology

• tuberculous meningitis: may occur during or after treatment

Pathology

• initial pathology is same as tuberculous meninigitis
• instead of invading the subarachnoid space, tuberculomas continue to grow, walled off from the brain parenchyma by a dense fibrous capsule
• lesions may be < 1 cm to several centimeters in diameter
• lesions may ne singlular or multiple
• intracranial mass lesion effects occur

Radiology

• magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium enhancement (see)

Complications

• liquification of the caseous core results in a tuberculous abscess; these patients tend to clinically worse
• intracranial mass lesion effects

More general terms

• tuberculoma

More specific terms

• meningeal tuberculoma

Additional terms

• tuberculous meningitis