title: Unusual presentation of sarcoidosis: solitary intracranial mass lesion mimicking an intracranial neoplasm: a case report.
abstract: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease of unknown cause and with a worldwide distribution. Involvement of the central nervous system occurs in a relatively small number of patients with sarcoidosis. Isolated neurosarcoidosis without signs of systemic disease however is a rare. In this report, we present an unusual case of neurosarcoidosis with intra cranial mass mimicking radiologically a glioma. Pathological examination revealed intraparenchymatous necrotising granulomatous lesions. After clinicopathological correlation, the diagnosis of a necrotizing cerebral granulomatosis (neurosarcoidosis) with atypical systemic involvement was made. Because of its non-specific clinical presentation and neuroradiological imaging characteristics, intracranial neurosarcoidosis remains a very difficult diagnosis, particularly in the absence of systemic signs of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghozzi
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Heifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Azouz
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Inès
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chelly
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Haifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nfoussi
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Department, La Rabta Hospital,Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hafedh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jemal
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Nidhameddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kchir
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, La Rabta Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haouet
authors.affiliation: Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zitouna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Sarcoidosis; nervous system; pathology