Unique central nervous system involvement and leukoencephalopathy-like magnetic resonance imaging findings in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with Sjögren's syndrome

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasutaka Tajima ◽  
Hiroaki Yaguchi ◽  
Yasunori Mito
2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 314-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Niemeyer de Freitas Ribeiro ◽  
Bernardo Carvalho Muniz ◽  
Emerson Leandro Gasparetto ◽  
Nina Ventura ◽  
Edson Marchiori

Abstract Although infection with the Zika virus was first recognized in 1942, it received little attention until 2007, when a true pandemic spread throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Since then, numerous forms of central nervous system involvement have been described, mainly malformations related to congenital infection. Although the neuroimaging findings in congenital Zika syndrome are not pathognomonic, many are quite suggestive of the diagnosis, and radiologists should be prepared to interpret such findings accordingly. The objective of this article is to review the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings in congenital Zika syndrome.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-885

Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are usually identified in immunocompromised patients but rare in immunocompetent hosts. The clinical and imaging manifestations are mainly influenced by types of fungal pathogen and immune status of the patients. The CNS fungal infections can develop through hematogenous dissemination from primary site of infection, cerebrospinal fluid seeding, or direct extension from adjacent sources of infection. Fungal infections can result in meningitis, meningoencephalitis, cerebritis, granuloma, or abscess formation, which imaging findings are often non-specific and difficult to distinguish from bacterial or tuberculous infection, non-infectious inflammatory disease, or even intracranial neoplasm. Vascular complications including vasculitis, cerebral infarction, or mycotic aneurysm are commonly present due to angioinvasion of fungal hyphae. In addition, some characteristic imaging features of fungal infections can be identified by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), such as intracavitary projections in fungal abscesses and gelatinous pseudocysts in cryptococcosis that could help suggest the diagnosis. Recognizing the imaging findings of common intracranial fungal infections combined with appropriate clinical setting is crucial for allowing early diagnosis and leading to early specific treatment. The present article reviewed common imaging findings of CNS fungal infections and distinct imaging features of specific pathogens. Keywords: Fungal infection, Brain abscess, Cryptococcosis, Central nervous system (CNS), Computed tomography (CT), Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1229-1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woojun Kim ◽  
Min Su Park ◽  
Sang Hyun Lee ◽  
Su-Hyun Kim ◽  
In Ja Jung ◽  
...  

Background: Although neuromyelitis optica has been traditionally regarded as a disease without brain involvement, brain abnormalities are not uncommon in patients with neuromyelitis optica-related disorders. Methods: We aimed to characterize the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder patients who are seropositive for anti-aquaporin-4 autoantibody (AQP4 Ab). Of 236 consecutive patients with inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system diseases, we retrospectively analyzed MRI characteristics of 78 patients who were seropositive for AQP4 Ab. Results: For an average observational period of 6.3 years, 62 patients (79%) had brain lesions on MRI. Twenty-four patients (31%) had brain MRI abnormalities at the onset of disease, and 35 (45%) had symptomatic brain involvement. Characteristic brain MRI abnormalities were classified into five categories: (1) lesions involving corticospinal tracts (e.g. posterior limb of internal capsule and cerebral peduncle (44%); (2) extensive hemispheric lesions likely due to vasogenic edema (29%); (3) periependymal lesions surrounding aqueduct and the third and fourth ventricles (22%); (4) periependymal lesions surrounding lateral ventricles (40%); and (5) medullary lesions, often contiguous with cervical lesions (31%). Fifty-four patients (69%) showed at least one kind of brain abnormality among the five characteristic MRI lesions. Ten patients showed gadolinium-enhancing lesions, which were characterized by multiple patchy enhancing patterns with blurred margins. Conclusions: In central nervous system AQP4 autoimmunity, brain MRI abnormalities were more common than is generally appreciated and were characterized by their unique localization and configuration.


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