Pediatric brainstem abscess with hemorrhage mimicking diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma: a case report.

PURPOSE: We report a rare case of brainstem abscess with hemorrhage mimicking diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

METHODS

A 7-month-old baby girl presented with lethargy and poor oral feeding. She had the mild fever for 1 month. Brain computed tomography revealed the hypodense lesion in the pons. Brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) showed around 1.4-cm-sized rim-enhanced mass with perilesional edema and internal hemorrhage in the pons. The cerebral blood volume was increased in the rim-enhanced area. The provisional diagnosis was DIPG, but the mass did not show the expansile mass with encasement of the basilar artery on the ventral pons.

RESULTS

The biopsy was done via the floor of the fourth ventricle, and the pathologic findings showed the many inflammatory cells and CD68-immunopositive macrophage which were compatible with abscess. The antibiotics with ceftriaxone and metronidazole were administrated for 11 weeks, and the follow-up MRI showed the slightly small enhanced lesion without central necrotic area. Three years later, follow-up MRI revealed the encephalomalacic change and atrophy of the pons. She had the stable neurologic deficit of left facial palsy and right hemiparesis.

CONCLUSION

The biopsy could be necessary for pontine lesions without typical radiologic findings of DIPG.