title: Brain tuberculoma (Mycobacterium africanum): high index of suspicion helps in avoiding biopsy/surgery.
abstract: Partial seizures can be due to a growing cerebral lesion, which may be tumoral or inflammatory/infectious in nature. The differential diagnosis is obviously important; increasing immigration to Europe from Africa is leading to an increase of infectious disease involving also the central nervous system. The authors report imaging the a case of a brain tuberculoma due to Mycobacterium africanum mimicking brain tumor, in which diagnosis was possible by inoculum in guinea-pig of material obtained by mediastinal biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes. Specific treatment led to marked reduction in the size of the brain lesion.
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Besta, Milan, Italy. andrea.botturi@istituto-besta.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Botturi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prodi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silvani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaviani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vanoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salmaggi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D016862:Tuberculoma, Intracranial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents