Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42819555›Full record

ArticleClinical case reports2026

Giant Posterior Fossa Tuberculoma Mimicking Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor in a Child: Illustrative Case.

Aamir Hussain Hela, Romana Makhdoomi, Nayil Khursheed, Nazmin Ahmed, Shazieya Akhter, Syed Sabina, Vishal Chavda, Mohsin Fayaz

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Article in Clinical case reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Aamir Hussain HelaDepartment of Neurosurgery Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1272-4666
Romana MakhdoomiDepartment of Pathology Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.
Nayil KhursheedDepartment of Neurosurgery Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.
Nazmin AhmedDepartment of Neurosurgery Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital & Research Institute Dhaka Bangladesh.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6308-8498
Shazieya AkhterDepartment of Pathology Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.
Syed SabinaDepartment of Pathology Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.
Vishal ChavdaDepartment of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Neurogenetics, Department of Clinical and Translational Research ChromoMed Institute Santo Domingo Dominican Republic.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5812-3412
Mohsin FayazDepartment of Neurosurgery Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intracranial tuberculomas are rare manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis that can closely mimic malignant posterior fossa tumors in children, particularly in tuberculosis-endemic regions. The radiological and clinical overlap with aggressive neoplasms such as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) poses a significant diagnostic challenge. A 5-year-old immunocompetent boy presented with progressive headache and irritability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed a large (45 × 38 mm) lesion in the cerebellar vermis and left hemisphere with mass effect on the fourth ventricle and brainstem, causing obstructive hydrocephalus. A ventriculoperitoneal (VPMP) shunt was placed for hydrocephalus management. Subsequently, left suboccipital craniectomy with tumor decompression was performed. Intraoperative crush biopsy was initially reported as atypical rhabdoid tumor. However, final histopathological examination revealed extensive granulomatous inflammation with epithelioid cell granuloma, Langhans-type giant cells, and macrophages. Immunohistochemistry showed CD68 positivity (confirming macrophagic nature), EMA negativity (ruling out meningothelial tumor), and vimentin positivity in fibrotic tissue. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining was positive. The final impression was chronic granulomatous pathology consistent with tuberculosis. This case underscores the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for CNS tuberculoma in the differential diagnosis of posterior fossa space-occupying lesions in children, particularly in endemic regions. Intraoperative crush biopsy may be misleading, and definitive histopathological examination with special stains is essential to avoid misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. Early confirmation of tuberculosis can dramatically alter management from aggressive oncological therapy to curative antitubercular treatment.

Indexed as

atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumorCNS tuberculosisdifferential diagnosisintracranial tuberculomapediatricposterior fossa

Identifiers

PMID42819555
PMCPMC13624376

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