A Tumefactive Multiple Sclerosis Case Mimicking a Focal Cerebral Mass

Tumefactive multiple sclerosis is a rare demyelinating disease presenting with a focal cerebral mass. Clinically and radiographically, the disease is usually difficult to differentiate from a tumor and abscess. If there is a doubt in the differential diagnosis, visual evoked potentials and CSF analysis and a trial with high dose corticosteroids should contribute to the evaluation of the patient before invasive procedures are started. Here we present a 13 year old girl with left hemiparesis, and a mass lesion on imaging studies confused with a tumor. Gross total tumor excision was performed. The pathology was consistent with a demyelinating disease. [Cukurova Med J 2013; 38(2.000): 329-332]