A case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy mimicking a brain tumor

Abstract

We report a case of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, in which the differential diagnosis was difficult to establish. A 64-year-old male presented with transient visual field disorders. Neurological examination found no abnormalities. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass lesion in the left occipital lobe. ¹⁸F alpha-methyl tyrosine-positron emission tomography (FMT-PET) showed high accumulation in the lesion, so a brain tumor was suspected. The patient underwent craniotomy for tissue diagnosis. Slight bleeding was identified on the surface of the brain. The histological diagnosis was cerebral amyloid angiopathy. FMT-PET shows high accumulation in brain tumor, but may also show high accumulation in chronic inflammatory lesions. The possibility of cerebral amyloid angiopathy must be considered, even if neuroimaging indicates brain tumor-like findings.