Rapidly progressing glioblastoma resembling brain abscess in leukemia

Acta Neurol Belg. 2008 Mar;108(1):24-6.

Abstract

A 63-year-old man with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and a prosthetic aortic valve was hospitalized because of a mastoiditis, complicated by meningitis and epileptic seizures. Two weeks later he developed a lesion in the right temporal lobe. A brain abscess was suspected. However after treatment his clinical condition failed to improve. 99mTc-Tetrofosmin brain SPECT was performed and revealed substantially increased tracer uptake. Due to the patient's clinical deterioration, surgery was considered most appropriate. Histopathology established the diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme. This case suggests a note of caution in every case of a rapidly evolving space-occupying lesion independently of the patient's previous history.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aneuploidy
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
  • Biopsy
  • Brain Abscess / diagnosis
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Brain Neoplasms / surgery
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Disease Progression
  • Glioblastoma / diagnosis*
  • Glioblastoma / surgery
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphoid / complications*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitotic Index
  • Technetium
  • Temporal Lobe / diagnostic imaging
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Technetium