Doctors in Lviv cured a woman with a brain lesion that was initially mistaken for metastases
Specialists at the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital successfully treated a 56-year-old woman from Lviv who was hospitalized with suspected brain metastases or toxoplasmosis. However, her family doctor suspected she had an infectious disease and advised her to see infectious disease specialists first.
At the hospital, following additional testing, the patient was diagnosed with an infectious brain infection. After being prescribed comprehensive treatment, her condition began to improve rapidly.
According to Karina Kalaydina, an infectious disease specialist at the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital, about a month ago the patient developed a fever and a runny nose.
She consulted doctors, who initially diagnosed her with sinusitis. She did not undergo any specific treatment but used topical medications, after which her fever subsided.
However, about a week later, the Lviv resident suddenly began having trouble speaking.
“Her husband called her, but she was unable to say anything to him. Such impairments occur when the brain is affected. Her condition continued to worsen, and she began losing consciousness,” said Karina Kalaydina.
Due to the worsening of her condition, the woman was referred for additional testing. She underwent a CT scan and an MRI, during which doctors detected abnormalities that could indicate brain damage.
“The woman was referred for tests, including a CT scan and an MRI, during which doctors suspected brain metastases or toxoplasmosis and advised her to consult an oncologist. However, her family doctor suspected an infectious disease and advised her to see an infectious disease specialist first,” says Karina Kalaydina.
At the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital, the patient underwent further testing.
Doctors speculated that the detected changes might be related to an infectious process that could have arisen after a case of sinusitis that had not been fully treated.
The woman was diagnosed with an infectious brain lesion and prescribed comprehensive treatment.
According to the doctors, the patient’s condition began to improve rapidly. A month later, she underwent another MRI, which showed positive progress.
On September 17, the patient was discharged from the Lviv Regional Infectious Diseases Hospital in satisfactory condition.
Thus, the suspicion of a brain tumor was not confirmed, and after treatment at the infectious diseases hospital, the woman’s condition improved significantly.
The patient’s case highlights the importance of differential diagnosis, as such symptoms may be associated not only with oncological but also with infectious processes.
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