1. Gliomatosis cerebri diagnostic challenge: two case reports.
- Author
-
Taipa R, da Silva AM, Santos E, Pinto PS, and Melo-Pires M
- Subjects
- Brain pathology, Cognition Disorders etiology, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial complications, Brain Neoplasms diagnosis, Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial diagnosis
- Abstract
Background: Gliomatosis cerebri is a specific entity defined as a diffuse neoplastic glial cell infiltration of the brain, preserving the architecture of the normal surrounding tissues, involving more than 2 cerebral lobes. Clinical symptoms or radiologic features are nonspecific, and patients are often misdiagnosed with other neurologic diseases., Review Summary: Here, we report the diagnostic workup of 2 patients with gliomatosis cerebri, discussing the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings. Case 1: a 64-year-old woman who presented with an intracranial hypertension syndrome and had symmetrical white matter T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities pattern on magnetic resonance imaging; and case 2: a 54-year-old man with the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis for 8 years who presented with de novo cognitive impairment and focal deficits., Conclusions: This report highlights the difficulty of this differential diagnosis and the need of considering it also in the presence of a symmetrical pattern of white matter involvement. Cerebral biopsy remains crucial for the correct diagnosis and treatment approach.
- Published
- 2011
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