BACKGROUND: Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma is a rare form of central nervous system tuberculosis. This article describes the successful management of intramedullary spinal tuberculoma in 3 patients who received treatment between 2000 and 2003. CASE DESCRIPTION: The character of 3 cases was analyzed retrospectively, including clinical manifestation and magnetic resonance imaging findings. All masses were excised totally under microscope. Histopathologic examination revealed tuberculoma. Postoperatively, all patients received a 6 to 9 month course of ATT. The outcome was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: The intramedullary spinal tuberculoma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of the spinal cord compression in patients with a history of tuberculosis. When confronted with a progressing neurologic deficit and poor response to ATT, surgical intervention should be considered. The optimal treatment is a combination of microsurgical resection and ATT.
BACKGROUND: Intramedullary spinal tuberculoma is a rare form of central nervous system tuberculosis. This article describes the successful management of intramedullary spinal tuberculoma in 3 patients who received treatment between 2000 and 2003. CASE DESCRIPTION: The character of 3 cases was analyzed retrospectively, including clinical manifestation and magnetic resonance imaging findings. All masses were excised totally under microscope. Histopathologic examination revealed tuberculoma. Postoperatively, all patients received a 6 to 9 month course of ATT. The outcome was favorable. CONCLUSIONS: The intramedullary spinal tuberculoma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of the spinal cord compression in patients with a history of tuberculosis. When confronted with a progressing neurologic deficit and poor response to ATT, surgical intervention should be considered. The optimal treatment is a combination of microsurgical resection and ATT.