Medknow Publications and Staff Society of Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
Abstract
A 36-year-old man presented with the complaints of intermittent fever
and paroxysms of dyspnoea. His chest X-ray film revealed apical changes
of the right lung and diffuse interstitial infiltration. The condition
was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis and a course of quadruple
chemotherapy was begun. Three months after discharge, the patient was
referred to the neurosurgery clinic with the complaints of lower back
pain, bilateral leg pain and weakness. Neurological examination
revealed paraplegia, urinary incontinence and spastic reflexes.
Thoracic, cervical and lumbar X-rays were normal. Thoracic spinal
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a circumscribed
intramedullary mass at the level of tenth thoracic vertebrae with a
hyperintense ring enhancement of the pia-arachnoid involving the whole
of the dorsal cord (Figures 1 and 2). The lesion was diagnosed as
intramedullary mass and high-dose steroids were consequently added to
the anti-tuberculosis therapy. Cerebral computed tomography was normal
