Neuroradiology Flashcards
examples of neurological infections
Meningitis Cerebritis Encephalitis Abscess Infected collections HIV/ immunocompromised CJD
What do you see on an MRI scan for cerebritis
Signal abnormality involving cortex and underlying white matter
Restricted diffusion
Abnormal enhancement
what does hydrocephalus look like on MRI/CT
grossly dilated ventricles
common causes of encephalitis
HSV
Varicella
2 causes of non-infective “limbic encephalitis”
AI
paraneoplastic
characteristic distribution of encephalitis on brain scans
mesial temporal lobe
insula
cingulate gyrus
px of encephalitis
comatose, confused, young/old, psychosis, seizures
define intra and extra-axial
Intra-axial: within brain substance itself
Extra-axial: from outside of the brain e.g. meninges
what is progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Immunocompromised patients
JC virus reactivation
Insidious onset, vague symptoms clumsiness, visual, speech, sometimes personality change
what does progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy look like on scans
asymmetric lesions in periventricular and subcortical white matter
what is CJD?
Prion infection
Usually older patients
Characteristics of CJD on scans
Signal abnormality in the cortex and basal ganglia
Characteristic hockey stick appearance in the pulvinar of the thalami (vCJD)
what is acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
Young children Prodromal febrile illness or immunization Usually monophasic illness Can be very severe/fatal demyelination
