Tuberculous brain abscess and its appearance on computerized tomography

Case report

Eli Reichenthal 1 , Mathias L. Cohen 1 , Elias Schujman 1 , Nachman Eynan 1 and Mordechai Shalit 1
View More View Less
1 Departments of Neurosurgery, Anesthesiology, and Pathology, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, and Tel-Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv, Israel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1982.56.4.0597
Restricted access

All currencies in US Dollar

PayPal Logo

✓ A case of tuberculous brain abscess in a 52-year-old woman is presented. The computerized tomographic (CT) scan demonstrated a multilocular space-occupying lesion in the right parietal area, surrounded by a thick hyperdense enhancing rim. It is suggested that a relatively long clinical history together with the appearance of a thick-walled abscess-like lesion on the CT scan may indicate the diagnosis of a tuberculous brain abscess.

Volume 56: Issue 4 (Apr 1982)

in Journal of Neurosurgery
Cover Journal of Neurosurgery

Article Information

Address reprint requests to: Eli Reichenthal, M.D., Department of Neurosurgery, Beilinson Medical Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.
Keywords:
tuberculosis; brain abscess; computerized tomography
Page Count:
597–600

© AANS, except where prohibited by US copyright law.

Headings

Figures

  • View in gallery

    Computerized tomography scans on the day of admission, before (left) and after (right) contrast infusion. A multiloculated thick-walled lesion is visualized in the right parietal lobe, with considerable surrounding edema.

  • View in gallery

    Left: Photomicrograph of the excised abscess showing the fibrous abscess wall on the left side densely infiltrated by inflammatory cells. A typical tuberculous granuloma is seen below. H & E, × 80. Right: A higher magnification of a portion of the abscess wall showing marked vascularity, gliosis, and infiltration with inflammatory cells including nests of polymorphonuclear cells. H & E, × 150.

Computerized tomography scans on the day of admission, before (left) and after (right) contrast infusion. A multiloculated thick-walled lesion is visualized in the right parietal lobe, with considerable surrounding edema.

Left: Photomicrograph of the excised abscess showing the fibrous abscess wall on the left side densely infiltrated by inflammatory cells. A typical tuberculous granuloma is seen below. H & E, × 80. Right: A higher magnification of a portion of the abscess wall showing marked vascularity, gliosis, and infiltration with inflammatory cells including nests of polymorphonuclear cells. H & E, × 150.

References

1.

Bannister CM: A tuberculous abscess of the brain. Case report. J Neurosurg 33:203–2061970Bannister CM: A tuberculous abscess of the brain. Case report. J Neurosurg 33:203–206 1970

2.

Evans GFSmith CF: Tuberculous abscess of the brain. Case report. Am Rev Respir Dis 24:292–2991931Evans GF Smith CF: Tuberculous abscess of the brain. Case report. Am Rev Respir Dis 24:292–299 1931

3.

Leblanc R: Tuberculous brain abscess: report of a case with computed tomography correlation. Neurosurgery 8:88–911981Leblanc R: Tuberculous brain abscess: report of a case with computed tomography correlation. Neurosurgery 8:88–91 1981

4.

Moussa AHDawson BH: Computed tomography and the mortality rate in brain abscess. Surg Neurol 10:301–3041978Moussa AH Dawson BH: Computed tomography and the mortality rate in brain abscess. Surg Neurol 10:301–304 1978

5.

Obrador S: Tuberculoma and syphilitic gumma in Youmans JR (ed): Neurological Surgery. Philadelphia/London/Toronto: WB Saunders1973 Vol III pp 1569–1573Obrador S: Tuberculoma and syphilitic gumma in Youmans JR (ed): Neurological Surgery. Philadelphia/London/Toronto: WB Saunders 1973 Vol III pp 1569–1573

6.

Rab SMBhatti IHGhani Aet al: Tuberculous brain abscess. Case report. J Neurosurg 43:490–4941975Rab SM Bhatti IH Ghani A et al: Tuberculous brain abscess. Case report. J Neurosurg 43:490–494 1975

7.

Rand CW: Tuberculous abscess of the brain secondary to tuberculosis of the caecum. Surg Gynecol Obstet 60:229–2351935Rand CW: Tuberculous abscess of the brain secondary to tuberculosis of the caecum. Surg Gynecol Obstet 60:229–235 1935

8.

Sinh GPandya SKDastur DK: Pathogenesis of unusual intracranial tuberculomas and tuberculous spaceoccupying lesions. J Neurosurg 29:149–1591968Sinh G Pandya SK Dastur DK: Pathogenesis of unusual intracranial tuberculomas and tuberculous spaceoccupying lesions. J Neurosurg 29:149–159 1968

9.

Tyson GNewman PStrachan WE: Tuberculous brain abscess. Surg Neurol 10:323–3251979Tyson G Newman P Strachan WE: Tuberculous brain abscess. Surg Neurol 10:323–325 1979

10.

Whitener DR: Tuberculous brain abscess. Report of a case and review of the literature. Arch Neurol 35:148–1551978Whitener DR: Tuberculous brain abscess. Report of a case and review of the literature. Arch Neurol 35:148–155 1978

TrendMD

Metrics

Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 19 19 11
Full Text Views 122 122 8
PDF Downloads 69 69 4
EPUB Downloads 0 0 0

PubMed

Google Scholar