Parvin Mahzouni's research while affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and other places

Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis may present as intracranial space occupying lesion. After primary infection the risk of developing disease depends on many factors such as immune and non immune mechanisms, immunosuppressive agents and the presence of co morbidities such as malignancies. Once a cancer metastasized to the CNS it is rarely curable. We report a rare case of CNS Tuberculosis coexisting with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the brain. A patient with underlying lung cancer under treatment was admitted with chief complaint of weakness of left hand and seizure. Brain imaging revealed mass lesion with ring enhancement within right parietal lobe. On craniotomy the morphology of lesion was both mass and abscess. Pathologic examination established "Metastatic adenocarcinoma" and the smear of abscess was positive for acid fast bacilli, culture also revealed positive results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to the prevalence of tuberculosis in endemic areas, we should always consider of tuberculosis (TB) in patient with brain space occupying lesions especially if the patient is immunocompromised.