Extrapulmonary tuberculosis presenting as a cavernous sinus syndrome: Case report with review of existing literature

Tuberculoma involving the cavernous sinus is a rare presentation of CNS disease, with only twelve cases reported in previous literature. We report a case of a 48 year old woman who presented with a right cavernous sinus syndrome of 2 months duration. MRI showed a mass in the right cavernous sinus, and serologic workup revealed an elevated sedimentation rate and positive Quantiferon(®)-GOLD testing. 18-FDG PET-CT demonstrated a hypermetabolic 3 cm subcarinal lymph node, and lymph node biopsy showed caseating granuloma. Culture of lymphatic tissue grew drug-sensitive M. tuberculosis. The patient was treated with a non-standard 4-drug regimen and prednisone, with rapid improvement of symptoms and radiologic abnormalities. Total length of treatment was 12 months. In addition, we review the 12 cases found in literature, and discuss clinical features, diagnostic dilemmas, and approaches to treatment.