MRI findings of intracranial tuberculomas

PurposeTuberculosis involvement of the central nervous system continues to represent a serious problem, particularly in developing countries. The aim of this study was to characterize the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of intracranial tuberculoma, a form of neurotuberculosis.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of 27 patients with intracranial tuberculomas. These consisted of 17 women and 10 men with a mean age of 26 years (14–51). MRI was performed on all patients.ResultsA total of 64 tuberculomas were found in these patients, of which 41 were distributed in the cerebral hemispheres, 17 in the cerebellar hemispheres, and 6 in the brainstem. Accompanied meningitis was detected in three patients, hydrocephalus in five patients, and hydrocephalus with meningitis in one patient.ConclusionMRI makes a significant contribution to diagnosis of intracranial tuberculomas and can objectively determine accompanying abnormalities.