Basal ganglia infarction mimicking glioblastoma

Modern brain imaging techniques usually allow a very good differential diagnosis of intracerebral lesions, but in some cases the differential diagnosis is difficult. We report the case of a 52 year old male with acute brachiofacial paresis and a hyperintense lesion with mass effect and ring-enhancement in basal ganglia suspiciously to a tumor. The neurosurgeons recommend stereotactical brain biopsy for diagnosis, but the patient recovered in following time gradually and in repeated computer tomographic images contrast enhancement disappeared and a hypodense zone in the basal ganglia remains. Our case demonstrates that brain infarctions can mimick glioblastoma in taking cystic appearance and contrast enhancement. Stereotactic biopsy would have been a precipitated invasive procedure in this case.