Contralateral recurrence of tumefactive demyelination

Clinical and radiological characteristics and outcomes of patients with recurrent or relapsing tumefactive demyelination

BACKGROUND

Relapsing or recurrent tumefactive demyelination is rare and has not been studied beyond individual case reports.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the clinical course, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), treatment and outcomes of patients with recurrent tumefactive demyelinating lesions (TDLs).

METHODS

We used PubMed to identify reports of recurrent TDLs and included the details of an additional, unpublished patient.

RESULTS

We identified 18 cases (11F, 7 M). The median age at onset of the index TDL was 37 years (range 12-72) and most were solitary lesions 72 % (13/18). CSF-restricted oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were detected in 25 % (4/16). Only one of those tested (n = 13) was positive for AQP4-IgG. A moderate-to-marked treatment response (high dose corticosteroid with or without additional plasmapheresis, IVIg or disease modifying therapies) was evident in 89 % of treated patients. Median EDSS at the median follow-up of 36 months (range 6-144) was 2 (range 1-10). Most remained ambulatory (EDSS < 4 in 13/18), but 1 patient died.

CONCLUSION

The median age of patients with relapsing TDLs is similar to that of typical MS, but differences include a lower female:male sex ratio, larger lesions, and a comparative lack of CSF-restricted OCBs. Outcomes vary among this group of patients ranging from minimal disability through to death.

Demyelinating lesions behaving like aggressive tumours on advanced MRI techniques

Tumefactive demyelinating lesions are a rare disorder in which inflammatory demyelination manifests as solitary or multiple focal brain lesions (greater than 2 cm in size), which can be mistaken for glioma, lymphoma, metastasis and in some cases even brain abscess. The symptomatology of tumefactive demyelinating lesions depends on the white matter area involved and includes quickly progressing neurological deterioration of motor, sensory and visual function, praxis, language and mood impairment, as well as seizures. Recognising the key imaging features in a patient with a prior history of demyelination may expedite appropriate management. Preoperative diagnosis or at least the consideration of a demyelinating process is important to avoid unnecessary surgery. We report three patients with demyelinating lesions who presented with findings suggestive of demyelination on conventional magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, in all patients the lesions showed high perfusion and in two high permeability, which are findings generally seen with high-grade neoplasias. In rare instances, tumefactive demyelinating lesions may show increased perfusion and high permeability, imaging findings more commonly seen in high-grade gliomas. We suggest that if white matter lesions on conventional magnetic resonance imaging are compatible with tumefactive demyelinating lesions, atypical findings of high perfusion/permeability should not dissuade the radiologist from suggesting the presence of tumefactive demyelinating lesions rather than high-grade gliomas.