Medulla oblongata tuberculoma mimicking metastasis presenting with stroke-like symptoms

• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-009-0099-6
• Publication Date: 2009-06-05T17:39:29Z
• Authors: Fuldem Yildirim D...; Mehmet Coskun; Gulnur Guven
• Keywords: Neurologic Examination; Medulla Oblongata; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 3. Good health; Diagnosis, Differential; Stroke; 03 medical and health sciences; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; 0302 clinical medicine; Tuberculoma, Intracranial; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Humans; Female; Neoplasm Metastasis; Aged

Tuberculomas are common forms of central nervous system tuberculosis, presenting as space-occupying-lesions. Brainstem tuberculomas are rare among all intracranial tuberculomas. In old patients, in the absence of tuberculosis history, diagnosis may be challenging. In this case, we present a 70-year-old patient, with bladder cancer, without known tuberculosis who presented with stroke-like symptoms, clinically. Diffusion-weighted imaging revealed no finding of stroke, however, a medulla oblongata tuberculoma, mimicking metastasis was evident on MRI.