Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB), the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the second leading killer worldwide from a single infectious agent. Spinal TB is associated with pulmonary disease and may originate from (1) hematogenous spread outside the central nervous system (CNS), (2) sites located within the cranium (meningitis), or (3) secondary extension from vertebral bodies or discs (Pott’s disease).1

Other presentations of tuberculosis include tuberculous arachnoiditis, nonosseous spinal tuberculoma, and spinal meningitis. Of these conditions, spinal tuberculoma can be intradural, extradural, intramedullary, or extramedullary. Intradural extramedullary tuberculosis is the most rare type and is only observed in 1 out of 50,000 cases of tuberculosis.2,3 To date, there has only been one documented intradural extramedullary tuberculoma in a non-HIV-infected patient in North America.4 Intradural spinal tuberculomas often present simultaneously or are preceded by tuberculous meningitis (TBM).5,6

We treated an otherwise healthy 68-yearold male that developed progressive lower extremity pain and weakness from an intradural spinal tuberculoma. While spinal tuberculomas have been previously described, no prior author has reported a tuberculoma several years after successful eradication of the pulmonary infection. In this case report, we present the case, pertinent imaging, operative findings, histopathology, and a review of the literature.

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