Recurrent tumefactive demyelination: An unusual presentation

Tumefactive multiple sclerosis (MS) is a rare variant of MS characterized by the presence of large demyelinating plaques of more than 2 cm, identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Distinguishing tumefactive lesions from other etiologies of intracranial space occupying lesions is necessary to avoid the inadvertent intervention. We had a 14-year-old girl who presented to us with two episodes of subacute hemiparesis over a span of 6 months. Her MRI brain showed large lesions, which were hyperintense on T2-weighted/flair images with incomplete ring enhancement open towards the gray matter in postgadolinium images with minimal surrounding edema and mass effect. We treated her as a case of tumefactive demyelination (TD) with steroids after which patient recovered with minimal deficits. TD occurs more commonly in women and young adults and is reported rarely. TD in a young girl with recurrence in such short span causing bilateral hemiparesis has never been reported.