Advances in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of intracerebral tuberculomas in the last 50 years. Report of 21 cases.

Intracranial tuberculosis accounts for less than 0.2% of intracranial space-occupying lesions diagnosed and treated in western countries, while it still represents a major neurosurgical finding in underdeveloped countries. The introduction of chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of tubercular infection, as well as the general improvement in the socio-economic status of the population as a whole, have both played an important role in the dramatic reduction of intracranial tuberculomas in industrialized countries. The increasing migration flow from third world countries, along with other factors, will probably result in increased exposure to such pathologies also in western Neurosurgical centers. A series of intracranial tuberculoma lesions were selected and analyzed, with the aim of pointing out the evolution of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of such clinical entities throughout the years.