Disseminated tuberculosis with paradoxical miliary tuberculomas of brain in a child with rickets

Abstract

Intracranial tuberculomas continue to be a serious complication of central nervous system tuberculosis. Multiple central nervous system tuberculoma is commonly associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The development of intracranial tuberculomas has been thought to be caused by hematogenous spread of tubercle bacilli on the surface of brain parenchyma from the primary site of infection. Here, we describe the case of a 5-year-old male child with severe protein energy malnutrition (Marasmus) having large cervical lymphadenopathy and severe nutritional rickets with deformity at presentation. The child developed convulsions 20 days after initiation of antituberculous drugs, and neuroimaging confirmed multiple miliary tuberculomas of brain as primary etiology for the convulsions.