Intracranial tuberculoma: CT and MRI

The appearances of intracranial tuberculoma on CT and MRI are described. Eight patients (6 males and 2 females) with intracranial tuberculomas studied over the past 4 years are presented. Four patients had AIDS and among the four non-AIDS patients 1 had undergone hepatic transplantation. All the cases were studied with CT and 6 underwent MRI. Five lesions were infratentorial, and 2 patients had double lesions. In 2 patients obstructive triventricular hydrocephalus was present. No patient had meningeal involvement. The stage of evolution was cerebritis in 1 case, incipient tuberculoma in 3 cases, mature tuberculoma in 1 case and tuberculous abscess in 5 cases. Diagnosis of intracranial tuberculoma was determined histologically in 5 patients and by good response to specific therapy in the remaining patients. Although CT allows differentiation between incipient and mature tuberculoma, MRI allows a better determination of the evolutonary stage. In most cases combined CT and MRI examinations provide an accurate diagnosis of intracranial tuberculoma. (orig.)