Isolated spinal intramedullary tuberculoma in a healthy immunocompetent adult

Aspergilloma Superinfection in the Spinal Canal of an 18-Year-Old Man: A Case Report

CASE

An 18-year-old immunocompetent man presented with symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis, discharging sinuses, and cold abscess for 3 years treated with multiple incision drainage procedures with cottonoid packing antibiotic therapy. Radiographic imaging showed a soft tissue mass in the canal causing bony destruction. Postoperative histopathological examination showed an Aspergillus fungal ball. Patient showed improvement at 6-month follow-up with medical management.

CONCLUSION

As far as we know, this is the first case report showing an aspergilloma involving the vertebral column. Inadequate antibiotic treatment and blind introduction of a foreign body into sinus tracts can lead to fungal infections mimicking tuberculosis, causing disastrous outcomes. Fungal cultures are recommended routinely.

Spinal Intramedullary Tuberculosis with Concurrent Supra- and Infratentorial Intracranial Disease in a 9-Month-Old Boy: Case Report and Comprehensive Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Tuberculous involvement of the spinal cord parenchyma is an exceedingly rare clinical entity; even more so is concurrent intracranial tuberculosis (TB). Spinal intramedullary TB presents with a characteristic subacute myelopathy, with slowly progressive paraplegia, sensory deficits, and/or bowel and bladder dysfunction. Diagnosis is strongly suspected with a clinical history of known TB in conjunction with characteristic findings on magnetic resonance imaging. Management involves multiagent antitubercular chemotherapy without or with operative intervention.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We present a case of a 9-month-old boy with a retrospectively recognized history of pulmonary TB presenting with fever and back tenderness found to have lower-extremity hypertonia and clonus. Imaging revealed concurrent intracranial and spinal intramedullary tuberculomas. The patient was treated for hydrocephalus with external ventricular drainage followed by T8-T10 laminectomy, drainage of abscess, and duraplasty. Parietal lobe biopsies proved the tuberculous etiology of intracranial lesions.

CONCLUSION

Etiopathogenesis, diagnosis, and management considerations of spinal intramedullary tuberculosis are reviewed and discussed.

Tumor of the conus medullaris treated with antituberculous therapy

This case report concerns a 21-year-old man developing left leg paresis. Evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intramedullary tumor in the conus region. He was planned for surgery but preoperative investigation indicated he had tuberculosis and the tumor was presumed to be a tuberculoma. Antituberculous therapy was started and the patient improved neurologically. The patient was followed clinically and with consecutive MRI during 2 years and the last MRI showed that the lesion had disappeared completely. Intramedullary tuberculomas are rare but important differential diagnosis in patients with spinal cord mass lesions. The role of medical and surgical treatment of intramedullary tuberculomas is discussed.