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. 2020 Oct;297(1):E232-E235.
doi: 10.1148/radiol.2020201697. Epub 2020 May 8.

Brain MRI Findings in Patients in the Intensive Care Unit with COVID-19 Infection

Affiliations

Brain MRI Findings in Patients in the Intensive Care Unit with COVID-19 Infection

Sedat G Kandemirli et al. Radiology. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Online supplemental material is available for this article.

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Figures

Flowchart of patient inclusion. COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019, RT-PCR = reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Figure 1:
Flowchart of patient inclusion. COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019, RT-PCR = reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Contrast material–enhanced cranial 1.5-T MRI scans in a 59-year-old intubated man with altered mental status despite tapering of sedoanalgesia. A, B, Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images at level of, A, midbrain and, B, centrum semiovale demonstrate prominent symmetric white matter hyperintensity and right frontal cortical hyperintensity. Prominent linear hyperintensity within frontal sulci is also shown. C, Axial diffusion-weighted image (b = 2000 sec/mm2) shows frontal increased signal intensity. There was also a corresponding low apparent diffusion coefficient (not shown) D, Axial T1-weighted image shows right frontal sulcal effacement. E, Postcontrast T1-weighted image shows mild pial-subarachnoid enhancement. F, G, Axial susceptibility-weighted images at level of, F, corona radiata and, G, centrum semiovale demonstrate blooming artifact in the frontal sulci. H, Postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image depicts bilateral leptomeningeal enhancement.
Figure 2:
Contrast material–enhanced cranial 1.5-T MRI scans in a 59-year-old intubated man with altered mental status despite tapering of sedoanalgesia. A, B, Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images at level of, A, midbrain and, B, centrum semiovale demonstrate prominent symmetric white matter hyperintensity and right frontal cortical hyperintensity. Prominent linear hyperintensity within frontal sulci is also shown. C, Axial diffusion-weighted image (b = 2000 sec/mm2) shows frontal increased signal intensity. There was also a corresponding low apparent diffusion coefficient (not shown) D, Axial T1-weighted image shows right frontal sulcal effacement. E, Postcontrast T1-weighted image shows mild pial-subarachnoid enhancement. F, G, Axial susceptibility-weighted images at level of, F, corona radiata and, G, centrum semiovale demonstrate blooming artifact in the frontal sulci. H, Postcontrast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image depicts bilateral leptomeningeal enhancement.

Comment in

  • Pathological brain CT scans in severe COVID-19 ICU patients.
    Castellano A, Anzalone N, Pontesilli S, Fominskiy E, Falini A. Castellano A, et al. Intensive Care Med. 2020 Nov;46(11):2102-2104. doi: 10.1007/s00134-020-06222-z. Epub 2020 Aug 29. Intensive Care Med. 2020. PMID: 32860514 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

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