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Tuberculous meningitis presenting as mesencephalic infarction and syringomyelia
Juri Katchanov1, Georg Bohner, Jörg Schultze
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Charité Mitte, Charitèplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. juri.katchanov@charite.de
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
|June 26, 2007
Summary
Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) rarely causes posterior circulation stroke, leading to third nerve palsy. This case also highlights TBM’s infrequent association with acute syringomyelia.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe infection affecting the central nervous system.
- Cerebral ischaemia, particularly in the anterior circulation, is a known complication of TBM.
- Acute syringomyelia is an exceptionally rare complication of TBM.
Observation:
- This report details an unusual case of TBM.
- The patient presented with a third nerve palsy.
- The palsy was attributed to a stroke affecting the posterior circulation.
Findings:
- The findings indicate a posterior circulation stroke in the context of TBM.
- The case also demonstrated an associated acute syringomyelia.
- This presentation is atypical for TBM complications.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of TBM's neurological complications.
- It underscores the possibility of posterior circulation involvement in TBM.
- The co-occurrence of stroke and syringomyelia in TBM warrants further investigation.
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