Clinical and Radiological End Points to Stop Anti-Tubercular Treatment in Central Nervous System Tuberculoma and Predictors of Poor Outcome: A Retrospective Study

Ankit Gupta Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India;

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Vimal Kumar Paliwal Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India;

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Swati Bharatveer Department of Emergency Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India;

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Prabhakar Mishra Department of Biostatistics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India;

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Neeraj Jain Department of Radiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India

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ABSTRACT.

The clinical and radiological end points to stop anti-tubercular treatment in central nervous system (CNS) tuberculoma are not known. This retrospective study was done to determine end points to stop anti-tubercular treatment and find the predictors of poor outcome in patients with CNS tuberculoma. Patients who were admitted with a diagnosis of brain/spine tuberculoma between January 2015 and December 2019 and who completed a minimum of 1-year follow-up were enrolled. Clinical and radiological end points to stop anti-tubercular treatment and predictors of death and poor outcome (modified Rankin scale > 2) were analyzed. One hundred and eight patients (male-to-female ratio, 47 [43.5%]:61 [56.5%]; brain tuberculoma, 102; spinal cord tuberculoma, 14; brain and spinal cord tuberculoma, 8) were included in the study. Median duration of anti-tubercular treatment was 24 months. Radiological resolution of tuberculoma (resolution of gadolinium-enhancing lesion, gliosis, calcification, cord atrophy, or syrinx formation) and radiological halt (no increase in size/number of tuberculoma on magnetic resonance imaging scans done 6 months apart) were used as end points to stop anti-tubercular treatment in 69 and 7 patients, respectively. Seven patients stopped their treatment by themselves, and 25 patients died. Altered sensorium, motor weakness, infarcts, hydrocephalus, and constitutional symptoms of tuberculous meningitis were predictors of poor outcome or death in CNS tuberculoma patients. Radiological resolution or radiological halt of brain/spinal cord tuberculoma was a reasonable end point to stop anti-tubercular treatment. However, this may require 24 months or more of anti-tubercular treatment. Associated tuberculous meningitis and its complications portend a poor prognosis.

Author Notes

Authors’ addresses: Ankit Gupta and Vimal Kumar Paliwal, Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, E-mails:drankitgupta90@gmail.com and dr_vimalkpaliwal@rediffmail.com. Swati Bharatveer, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, E-mail: drswatimamc@gmail.com. Prabhakar Mishra, Department of Biostatistics, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, E-mail: drpmishra@sgpgi.ac.in. Neeraj Jain, Department of Radiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, E-mail: neerajdmrd@gmail.com.

Address correspondence to Vimal Kumar Paliwal, Department of Neurology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, India. E-mails: dr_vimalkpaliwal@rediffmail.com
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