Abstract
Central nervous system infections remain an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Meningitis is the most common manifestation. Pathogens vary based on the location of the infection, geography, vaccination status, age, surgical intervention, and immune status. They are considered medical emergencies requiring immediate diagnosis and therapy, and crucial steps are needed to achieve a good clinical outcome. Lumbar puncture is the first step in their evaluation, and imaging of the brain is often indicated in patients with neurologic deficits, altered immunity, or decreased level of consciousness.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Mathers C, Fat DM, Boerma JT, World Health Organization. The global burden of disease: 2004 update. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2008.
Naidich TP. Imaging of the brain. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2013.
van de Beek D, de Gans J, Spanjaard L, Weisfelt M, Reitsma JB, Vermeulen M. Clinical features and prognostic factors in adults with bacterial meningitis. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(18):1849–59.
Mohan S, Jain KK, Arabi M, Shah GV. Imaging of meningitis and ventriculitis. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2012;22(4):557–83.
Heth JA. Neurosurgical aspects of central nervous system infections. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2012;22(4):791–9.
Riddell J, Shuman EK. Epidemiology of central nervous system infection. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2012;22(4):543–56.
Korinek AM. Risk factors for neurosurgical site infections after craniotomy: a prospective multicenter study of 2944 patients. The French Study Group of Neurosurgical Infections, the SEHP, and the C-CLIN Paris-Nord. Service Epidémiologie Hygiène et Prévention. Neurosurgery. 1997;41(5):1073–9; discussion1079–81.
Thigpen MC, Whitney CG, Messonnier NE, Zell ER, Lynfield R, Hadler JL, et al. Bacterial meningitis in the United States, 1998–2007. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(21):2016–25.
van de Beek D, de Gans J, Tunkel AR, Wijdicks EFM. Community-acquired bacterial meningitis in adults. N Engl J Med. 2006;354(1):44–53. Massachusetts Medical Society.
Rath TJ, Hughes M, Arabi M, Shah GV. Imaging of cerebritis, encephalitis, and brain abscess. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2012;22(4):585–607.
da Rocha AJ, Vedolin L, Mendonça RA. Encéfalo. Brasil: Elsevier; 2012. 1 p.
Mathisen GE, Johnson JP. Brain abscess. Clin Infect Dis. 1997;25(4):763–79. Oxford University Press.
Chang KH, Han MH, Roh JK, Kim IO, Han MC, Kim CW. Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging of the brain in patients with meningitis: comparison with CT. Am J Roentgenol. 1990;154(4):809–16.
Lai PH, Li KT, Hsu SS, Hsiao CC, Yip CW, Ding S, et al. Pyogenic brain abscess: findings from in vivo 1.5-T and 11.7-T in vitro proton MR spectroscopy. Am J Neuroradiol. 2005;26(2):279–88.
Kim YJ, Chang KH, Song IC, Kim HD, Seong SO, Kim YH, et al. Brain abscess and necrotic or cystic brain tumor: discrimination with signal intensity on diffusion-weighted MR imaging. Am J Roentgenol. 1998;171(6):1487–90.
Luthra G, Parihar A, Nath K, Jaiswal S, Prasad KN, Husain N, et al. Comparative evaluation of fungal, tubercular, and pyogenic brain abscesses with conventional and diffusion MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy. Am J Neuroradiol. 2007;28(7):1332–8.
Pal D, Bhattacharyya A, Husain M, Prasad KN, Pandey CM, Gupta RK. In vivo proton MR spectroscopy evaluation of pyogenic brain abscesses: a report of 194 cases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010;31(2):360–6.
Lai PH, Ho JT, Chen WL, Hsu SS, Wang JS, Pan HB, et al. Brain abscess and necrotic brain tumor: discrimination with proton MR spectroscopy and diffusion-weighted imaging. Am J Neuroradiol. 2002;23(8):1369–77.
Öz G, Alger JR, Barker PB, Bartha R, Bizzi A, Boesch C, et al. Clinical proton MR spectroscopy in central nervous system disorders. Radiology. 2014;270(3):658–79.
Toh CH, Wei KC, Ng SH, Wan YL, Lin CP, Castillo M. Differentiation of brain abscesses from necrotic glioblastomas and cystic metastatic brain tumors with diffusion tensor imaging. Am J Neuroradiol. 2011;32(9):1646–51.
Gasparetto EL, Cabral RF, da Cruz LCH, Domingues RC. Diffusion imaging in brain infections. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2011;21(1):89–113, vii.
Mathews VP, Caldemeyer KS, Lowe MJ, Greenspan SL, Weber DM, Ulmer JL. Brain: gadolinium-enhanced fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery MR imaging. Radiology. 1999;211(1):257–63.
Fukuoka H, Hirai T, Okuda T, Shigematsu Y, Sasao A, Kimura E, et al. Comparison of the added value of contrast-enhanced 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo sequences in relation to conventional postcontrast T1-weighted images for the evaluation of leptomeningeal diseases at 3T. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2010;31(5):868–73.
Tomar V, Yadav A, Rathore RKS, Verma S, Awasthi R, Bharadwaj V, et al. Apparent diffusion coefficient with higher b-value correlates better with viable cell count quantified from the cavity of brain abscess. Am J Neuroradiol. 2011;32(11):2120–5.
Maia ACM Jr, Guedes BVS, Lucas A Jr, José da Rocha A. Diffusion MR imaging for monitoring treatment response. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2011;21(1):153–78.
Cartes-Zumelzu FW, Stavrou I, Castillo M, Eisenhuber E, Knosp E, Thurnher MM. Diffusion-weighted imaging in the assessment of brain abscesses therapy. Am J Neuroradiol. 2004;25(8):1310–7.
Toh CH, Wei KC, Chang CN, Hsu PW, Wong HF, Ng SH, et al. Differentiation of pyogenic brain abscesses from necrotic glioblastomas with use of susceptibility-weighted imaging. Am J Neuroradiol. 2012;33(8):1534–8.
Burtscher IM, Holtås S. In vivo proton MR spectroscopy of untreated and treated brain abscesses. Am J Neuroradiol. 1999;20(6):1049–53.
Stuckey SL, Goh TD, Heffernan T, Rowan D. Hyperintensity in the subarachnoid space on FLAIR MRI. Am J Roentgenol. 2007;189(4):913–21.
Del Brutto OH, Rajshekhar V, White AC, Tsang VC, Nash TE, Takayanagui OM, et al. Proposed diagnostic criteria for neurocysticercosis. Am Acad Neurol. 2001;57(2):177–83.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Scoppetta, T.L.P.D., da Rocha, A.J., Hoffmann Nunes, R. (2016). Meningitis, Empyema, and Brain Abscess in Adults. In: Hoffmann Nunes, R., Abello, A., Castillo, M. (eds) Critical Findings in Neuroradiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27987-9_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27987-9_15
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-27985-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-27987-9
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)