Lymph node biopsy as an aid in the diagnosis of intracranial tuberculosis

This report describes five patients with intracranial tuberculosis (TB): four with tuberculous meningitis and one with intracranial tuberculomas. In all cases the diagnosis was confirmed by excision biopsy of an enlarged cervical or axillary lymph node. The biopsies showed caseating granulomas and acid fast bacilli, confirming the diagnosis of TB within 48 h of admission. Lymphnode biopsies may be an effective and practical aid in diagnosing intracranial TB.