A cerebral mass in a patient with Churg Strauss syndrome.

BACKGROUND

Differential diagnosis of mass brain lesions with surrounding peripheral-ring enhancement includes infections, tumours, demyelinating diseases, and vascular lesions such as infarcts or haematomas

METHODS

This paper is the case report of a 72-year-old Caucasian female patient who presented with a subacute onset neurologic deficit and a heterogeneous cerebral mass, an imaging finding worrisome for malignancy.

CONCLUSION

More specific brain imaging is necessary to differentiate between different diseases, especially malignant CNS tumours and abscesses. Specific risk factor identification is important but cannot replace stereotactic aspiration of pus for accurate microbiologic diagnosis and initiation of targeted antimicrobial treatment of cerebral abscesses.