Skip to main content

Abstract

Infections of the brain are caused by bacteria, virus, fungi or parasites. Bacterial infections are often related to septic emboli and extracranial infections spreading intracranially and intra-axially. This can result in cerebritis and brain abscesses. Viral infections are more diffuse and cause encephalitis and vasculitis. Toxoplasmosis, which is the most common parasitic infection of the brain, causes encephalitis and abscesses, while disseminated aspergillosis causes vasculitis-mediated infarctions resulting in extensive cerebritis and/or abscess formation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ebisu T, Naruse S, Horikawa Y, et al. (1993) Discrimination between different types of white matter edema with diffusion-weighted MR imaging. JMRI 3:863–868

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ebisu T, Tanaka C, Umeda M, et al. (1996) Discrimination of brain abscess from necrotic or cystic tumors by diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging. Magn Reson Imaging 14:1113–1116

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kim YJ, Chang KH, Song IC, et al. (1998) Brain abscess and necrotic or cystic brain tumor: discrimination with signal intensity on diffusion-weighted MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol 171:1487–1490

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Desprechins B, Stadnik T, Koerts G, et al. (1999) Use of diffusion-weighted MR imaging in differential diagnosis between intracerebral necrotic tumors and cerebral abscesses. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:1252–1257

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Noguchi K, Watanabe N, Nagayashi T, et al. (1999) Role of diffusion-weighted echo-planar MRI in distinguishing between brain abscess and tumor: a preliminary report. Neuroradiology 41:171–174

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Castillo M (1999) Imaging brain abscess with diffusion-weighted and other sequences. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:1193–1194

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gray F, Nordmann P (1997) Bacterial infections. In: Graham DI, Lantos PL (eds) Greenfields neuropathology, vol 2, 6th edn,pp 114–129

    Google Scholar 

  8. Falcone S, Post MJD (2000) Encephalitis, cerebritis, and brain abscess: pathophysiology and imaging findings. Neuroimaging Clin North Am 10:333–353

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hatta S, Mochizuki H, Kuru Y, et al. (1994) Serial neurological studies in focal cerebritis. Neuroradiology 36:285–288

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ketelslegers E, Duprez T, Ghariani S, et al. (2000) Time dependence of serial diffusion-weighted imaging features in a case of pyogenic brain abscess. JCAT 24:478–481

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cartes-Zumelzu FW, Stavrou I, Castillo M, Eisenhuber E, Knosp E, Thurnher MM (2004) Diffusion-weighted imaging in the assessment of brain abscesses therapy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 25:1310–1317

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Gupta RK, Hasan KM, Mishra AM, et al. (2005) High fractional anisotropy in brain abscesses versus other cystic intracranial lesions. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:1107–1114

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kumar M, Gupta RK, Nath K, Rathore RK, et al. (2008) Can we differentiate true white matter fibers from pseudofibers inside a brain abscess cavity using geometrical diffusion tensor imaging metrics? NMR Biomed 21:581–588

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bakshi R, Wright PD, Kinkel PR, et al. (1999) Cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings in bacterial endocarditis: the neuroimaging spectrum of septic brain embolization demonstrated in twelve patients. J Neuroimaging 9:78–84

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Höllinger P, Zürcher R, Schroth G, et al. (2000) Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging findings in cerebritis and brain abscess in a patient with septic encephalopathy. J Neurol 247:232–234

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nagase T, Wada S, Nakamura R, et al. (1995) Magnetic resonance imaging of multiple brain abscesses of bilateral basal ganglia. Intern Med 34:554–558

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Southwick FS, Purich DL (1996) Intracellular pathogenesis of listeriosis. New Eng J Med 334:770–776

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Fleetwood IG, Embil JM, Ross IB (2000) Nocardia asteroides cerebral abscess in immunocompetent hosts: report of three cases and review of surgical recommendations. Surg Neurol 53:605–610

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Shin JH, Lee HK (2003) Nocardial brain abscess in a renal transplant recipient. Clin Imaging 27:321–324

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Luthra G, Parihar A, Nath K, et al. (2007) Comparative evaluation of fungal, tubercular, and pyogenic brain abscesses with conventional and diffusion MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 28:1332–1338

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Gupta RK, Prakash M, Mishra AM, Husain M, Prasad KN, Husain N (2005) Role of diffusion weighted imaging in differentiation of intracranial tuberculoma and tuberculous abscess from cysticercus granulomas-a report of more than 100 lesions. Eur J Radiol 55:384–392

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Sadeghi N, Rorive S, Lefranc F (2003) Intracranial tuberculoma: is diffusion-weighted imaging useful in the diagnosis? Eur Radiol 13:2049–2050

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Holtås S, Geijer B, Strömblad LG, et al. (2000) A ring-enhancing metastasis with central high signal on diffusion-weighted imaging and low apparent diffusion coefficients. Neuroradiology 42:824–827

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Hartman M, Jansen O, Heiland S, et al. (2001) Restricted diffusion within ring enhancement is not pathognomonic for brain abscess. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 22:1738–1742

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tung GA, Evangelista P, Rogg JM, et al. (2001) Diffusionweighted MR imaging of rim-enhancing brain masses: is markedly decreased water diffusion specific for brain abscess? AJR Am J Roentgenol 177:709–712

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Fertikh D, Krejza J, Cunqueiro A, Danish S, Alokaili R, Melhem ER (2007) Discrimination of capsular stage brain abscesses from necrotic or cystic neoplasms using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. J Neurosurg 106:76–81

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Fredman DP, Goldman HW, Flanders AE (1997) MR imaging of stereotaxic palidotomy and thalamotomy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 169:894–896

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ackerman LL, Traynelis VC (1999) Dural space infection: cranial subdural empyema and cranial epidural abscess. In: Osenbach RK, Zeidman SM, (eds) Infections in neurological surgery. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, pp 85–99

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ramsay DW (2000) Diffusion-weighted imaging of cerebral abscess and subdural empyema. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 21:1172

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rana S, Albayram S, Lin DDM, et al. (2002) Diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient maps in a case of intracerebral abscess with ventricular extension. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 23:109–112

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Ebisu T, Tanaka C, Umeda M, et al. (1997) Hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic stroke: diagnosis with diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted echo-planar MR imaging. Radiology 203:823–828

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Atlas SW, Dubois P, Singer MB, et al. (2000) Diffusion measurements in intracranial hematomas: implications for MR imaging of acute stroke. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 21:1190–1194

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Tsuruda JS, et al. (1990) Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the brain: value of differentiating between extraaxial cysts and epidermoid tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 11:925–931

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Moodley M, Bullock MR (1985) Severe neurological sequelae of childhood bacterial meningitis. S Afr Med J 68:566–570

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Navia BA, Petito CK, Gold JWM, et al. (1986) Cerebral toxoplasmosis complicating the acquired immune deficiency syndrome: clinical and neurological findings in 27 patients. Ann Neurol 19:224–238

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Camacho DL, Smith JK, Castillo M (2003) Differentiation of toxoplasmosis and lymphoma in AIDS patients by using apparent diffusion coefficients. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:633–637

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Chong-Han CH, Cortez SC, Tung GA (2003) Diffusion-weighted MRI of cerebral toxoplasma abscess. AJR Am J Roentgenol 181:1711–1714

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Schroeder PC, Post MJ, Oschatz E, Stadler A, Bruce-Gregorios J, Thurnher MM (2006) Analysis of the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient values in distinguishing central nervous system toxoplasmosis from lymphoma. Neuroradiology 48:715–720

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. do Amaral LL, Ferreira RM, da Rocha AJ, Ferreira NP (2005) Neurocysticercosis: evaluation with advanced magnetic resonance techniques and atypical forms. Top Magn Reson Imaging 16:127–144

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. DeLone DR, Goldstein RA, Petermann G, et al. (1999) Disseminated aspergillosis involving the brain: distribution and imaging characteristics. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:1597–1604

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Charlot M, Pialat JB, Obadia N, et al. (2007) Diffusion-weighted imaging in brain aspergillosis. Eur J Neurol 14:912–916

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Gaviani P, Schwartz RB, Hedley-Whyte ET, et al. (2005) Diffusion-weighted imaging of fungal cerebral infection. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:1115–1121

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Simmons JH, Zeitler PS, Fenton LZ, Abzug MJ, Fiallo-Scharer RV, Klingensmith GJ (2005) Rhinocerebral mu-cormycosis complicated by internal carotid artery thrombosis in a pediatric patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a case report and review of the literature. Pediatr Diabetes 6:234–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Tung GA, Rogg JM (2003) Diffusion-weighted imaging of cerebritis. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:1110–1113

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Ho TL, Lee HJ, Lee KW, Chen WL (2005) Diffusion-weighted and conventional magnetic resonance imaging in cerebral cryptococcoma. Acta Radiol 46:411–414

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Smith JS, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Phillips JJ, Bollen AW, McDermott MW, Cha S (2006) Limitations of diffusion-weighted imaging in distinguishing between a brain tumor and a central nervous system histoplasmoma. J Neurooncol 79:217–218

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Sener RN (2001) Herpes simplex encephalitis: diffusion MR imaging findings. Comput Med Imaging Graph 25:391–397

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Tsuchiya K, Katase S, Yoshino A, et al. (1999) Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of encephalitis. AJR Am J Roentgenol 173:1097–1099

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Obeid M, Franklin J, Shrestha S, Johnson L, Quattromani F, Hurst D (2007) Diffusion-weighted imaging findings on MRI as the sole radiographie findings in a child with proven herpes simplex encephalitis. Pediatr Radiol 37:1159–1162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Küker W, Nägele T, Schmidt F, Heckl S, Herrlinger U (2004) Diffusion-weighted MRI in herpes simplex encephalitis: a report of three cases. Neuroradiology 46:122–125

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Heiner L, Demaerel P (2003) Diffusion-weighted MR imaging findings in a patient with herpes simplex encephalitis. EurJ Radiol 45:195–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Noguchi T, Mihara F, Yoshiura T, et al. (2006) MR imaging of human herpesvirus-6 encephalopathy after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adults. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 27:2191–2195

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Gorniak RJ, Young GS, Wiese DE, Marty FM, Schwartz RB (2006) MR imaging of human herpesvirus-6-associated encephalitis in 4 patients with anterograde amnesia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 27:887–891

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Wasenko JJ, Park BJ, Jubelt B, et al. (2002) Magnetic resonance imaging of mesenrhombencephalitis. Clin Imaging 26:237–242

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Soo MS, Tien RD, Gray L, Andrews PI, Friedman H (1993) Mesenrhombencephalitis: MR findings in nine patients. AJR Am J Roentgenol 160:1089–1093

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Weidauer S, Ziemann U, Thomalske C, Gaa J, Lanfermann H, Zanella FE (2003) Vasogenic edema in Bickerstaff’s brainstem encephalitis: a serial MRI study. Neurology 61:836–838

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Ali M, Safriel Y, Sohi J, Llave A, Weathers S (2005) West Nile virus infection: MR imaging findings in the nervous system. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:289–297

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Petropoulou KA, Gordon SM, Prayson RA, Ruggierri PM (2005) West Nile virus meningoencephalitis: MR imaging findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:1986–1995

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Kraushaar G, Patel R, Stoneham GW (2005) West Nile Virus: a case report with flaccid paralysis and cervical spinal cord: MR imaging findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26:26–29

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Zak IT, Altinok D, Merline JR, Chander S, Kish KK (2005) West Nile virus infection. AJR Am J Roentgenol 184:957–961

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Rosas H, Wippold FJ 2nd. (2003) West Nile virus: case report with MR imaging findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 24:1376–1378

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Cordoliani YS, Sarrazin JL, Felten D, Caumes E, Lévêque C, Fisch A (1998) MR of cerebral malaria. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 19:871–874

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Patankar TF, Karnad DR, Shetty PG, Desai AP, Prasad SR (2002) Adult cerebral malaria: prognostic importance of imaging findings and correlation with postmortem findings. Radiology 224:811–816

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Sakai O, Barest GD (2005) Diffusion-weighted imaging of cerebral malaria. J Neuroimaging. 15:278–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Flowers CH, Mafee MF, Crowell R, et al. (1990) Encephalopathy in AIDS patients: evaluation with MR imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 11:1235–1245

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Connor MD, Lammie GA, Bell JE, et al. (2000) Cerebral infarction in adult AIDS patients: observations from the Edinburgh HIV autopsy cohort. Stroke 31:2117–2126

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Meltzer CC, Wells SW, Becher MW, et al. (1998) AIDS-related MR hyperintensity of the basal ganglia. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 19:83–89

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

(2009). Infectious Diseases. In: Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging of the Brain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78785-3_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78785-3_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-78784-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-78785-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics