Open AccessMiliary Brain Tuberculomas and Meningitis: Tuberculosis Beyond the Lungs
Author(s) -
Gisela Vasconcelos,
Lívia Santos,
Catarina Couto,
Margarida Silva Cruz,
Alexandra Castro
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.125
H-Index - 1
ISSN - 2284-2594
DOI - 10.12890/2020_001931
Subject(s) - medicine , pleocytosis , miliary tuberculosis , tuberculosis , cerebrospinal fluid , lymphocytic pleocytosis , tuberculous meningitis , mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculoma , meningitis , pathology , magnetic resonance imaging , differential diagnosis , pediatrics , encephalitis , immunology , radiology , virus
Tuberculosis remains one of the most common infectious diseases. Miliary presentation is a rare and possibly lethal form, resulting from massive lymphohaematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli. The authors describe the case of a 47-year-old immunocompetent woman, diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis, with both lung and central nervous system involvement, who showed total recovery after starting anti-tuberculous drugs. The atypical neutrophilic-predominant pleocytosis and negative cerebrospinal fluid microbiological results made the diagnosis even more challenging. Since prognosis largely depends on timely treatment, recognition and prompt diagnosis is important. Thus, clinicians should be aware and treatment should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis is suspected.