Brain tumour presenting with burns: Case report and discussion

Descriptions of burns as the presenting features of underlying neurological pathology are very rare, with only two previously published case reports available. Both of these reports featured meningioma as the pre-existing pathology and both described burn excision and wound healing, prior to surgical tumour ablation. The authors describe the case of a 35-year-old female, who presented with 25% total body surface area burns and recent global neurological deterioration. MRI imaging revealed a large intracranial tumour. Multidisciplinary management included rigorous non-surgical burn wound care and early craniotomy and tumour excision. This proceeded without complication. Burn excision and skin grafting was carried out successfully, two weeks later. This case differs from the previous two reported cases, which both described burn excision, as a pre-requisite to neurosurgery. This case establishes that the presence of a burn wound is not a total contra-indication to intracranial surgery.