Cranial pachymeningitis

INTRODUCTION: Pachymeningitis is a fibrous inflammatory process with non-specific symptoms, involving the dura mater. Due to MRI development, diagnosis is both easier and earlier. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS: We report seven cases and review current literature. Clinical features are headaches and cranial nerve palsies. CSF shows inflammatory changes, while MRI evidences thickening of the dura mater. Disease etiologies in the present study were tuberculosis in two cases, sarcoidosis, Lyme disease, lymphoma and dural puncture; in one case only the disease was of unknown origin. The condition of six patients improved with specific treatment. FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS: Further MRI development should allow detection of new forms of pachymeningitis and standardization of patients' management through the study of more important series.