Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by in a patient with AIDS: a challenging diagnosis.

Introduction: spp. is a ubiquitous free-living amoeba that causes human infections affecting predominantly the cornea and central nervous system. The diagnosis and treatment of encephalitis is very challenging.

Infection.

Imaging is useful in the diagnosis and management of infections of the central nervous system. Typically, imaging findings at the outset of the disease are subtle and nonspecific, but they often evolve to more definite imaging patterns in a few days, with less rapidity than for stroke but faster than for neoplastic lesions. This timing is similar to that of noninfectious inflammatory brain disease, such as multiple sclerosis.

Efficacy and Safety of Outpatient Treatment Based on the Hestia Clinical Decision Rule with or without N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide Testing in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism. A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Rationale: Outpatient treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) may lead to improved patient satisfaction and reduced healthcare costs. However, trials to assess its safety and the optimal method for patient selection are scarce.

Objectives: To validate the utility and safety of selecting patients with PE for outpatient treatment by the Hestia criteria and to compare the safety of the Hestia criteria alone with the Hestia criteria combined with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) testing.

Disappearing large calcified thoracic disc herniation in a patient with thalassaemia.

Regression of herniated disc fragments with subsequent improvement in clinical symptoms has been reported in the lumbar and cervical spine. Such regressions in the thoracic spine are extremely rare. We report a case of a 38-year-old patient with thalassaemia who had regression of a large calcified herniated thoracic disc causing cord compression, with subsequent herniation of a second calcified disc at a different level and discuss the possible aetiopathogenesis.

Optic pathway infarct after Onyx HD 500 aneurysm embolization: visual pathway ischemia from superior hypophyseal artery occlusion.

We report a case of visual deterioration after Onyx HD 500 embolization of a left 7 mm superior hypophyseal artery (SHA) aneurysm. After the procedure, the patient experienced a right incongruous homonymous hemianopia, and MRI showed an infarct of the ipsilateral optic chiasm/tract but no evidence of aneurysm mass effect or embolic cortical infarcts. The optic pathway ischemia is believed to be secondary to Onyx penetration and occlusion of an SHA branch near the aneurysm neck.

Optic pathway infarct after Onyx HD 500 aneurysm embolization: visual pathway ischemia from superior hypophyseal artery occlusion.

We report a case of visual deterioration after Onyx HD 500 embolization of a left 7 mm superior hypophyseal artery (SHA) aneurysm. After the procedure, the patient experienced a right incongruous homonymous hemianopia, and MRI showed an infarct of the ipsilateral optic chiasm/tract but no evidence of aneurysm mass effect or embolic cortical infarcts. The optic pathway ischemia is believed to be secondary to Onyx penetration and occlusion of an SHA branch near the aneurysm neck.

Whole-brain proton MR spectroscopic imaging in Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: To examine the distributions of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) observed metabolites in Parkinson's disease (PD) throughout the whole brain.

Methods: Twelve PD patients and 18 age-matched controls were studied using neuropsychological testing, MRI and volumetric MR spectroscopic imaging. Average values of signal normalized metabolite values for N-acetyl-aspartate, total-creatine, and total-choline (NAA, total-Cre, total-Cho, respectively) and their ratios were calculated for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in each lobar brain region.

Rare presentation of BK encephalitis in a child: imaging and pathological findings.

Clinically apparent BK virus infections mostly involve the genitourinary system of immunocompromised patients, particularly those who have undergone renal or bone marrow transplantations. Central nervous system involvement is extremely rare. In this report, we describe the pathologic and MR findings of BK encephalitis in a child.

Restricted Diffusion of Pus in the Subarachnoid Space: MRSA Meningo-Vasculitis and Progressive Brainstem Ischemic Strokes - A Case Report.

Extra-axial restriction on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is an unusual finding on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Intra-axial restriction on DWI, however, is common, and can represent brain parenchymal infarction, tumor, abscess, or toxic-metabolic process. The infrequency of extra-axial DWI restriction and the paucity of clinico-pathological correlation in the literature limit its differential diagnosis.

Analysis of the utility of diffusion-weighted MRI and apparent diffusion coefficient values in distinguishing central nervous system toxoplasmosis from lymphoma.

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis and lymphoma are common lesions of the central nervous system in patients with AIDS. It is often difficult to distinguish between these lesions both clinically and radiographically. Previous research has demonstrated restricted diffusion within cerebral lymphomas and bacterial abscesses.

Unusual presentation of central nervous system cryptococcal infection in an immunocompetent patient.

The imaging findings of cryptococcosis affecting the brain in immunocompetent patients can be different from the more commonly described findings in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of an extremely unusual MR appearance of central nervous system cryptococcosis in a 49-year-old immunocompetent man.