Potentially Reversible and Recognizable Acute Encephalopathic Syndromes: Disease Categorization and MRI Appearances

"Encephalopathy" is a vague term that encompasses varying definitions, often with a nonspecific clinical presentation and numerous possible pathophysiologic causes. Hence, MR imaging plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis and treatment by identifying imaging patterns when there is lim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of neuroradiology : AJNR 2020-08, Vol.41 (8), p.1328-1338
Main Authors: Koksel, Y, McKinney, A M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult Brain
Diagnosis, Differential
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods
Male
Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome - diagnostic imaging
Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome - etiology
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Summary:"Encephalopathy" is a vague term that encompasses varying definitions, often with a nonspecific clinical presentation and numerous possible pathophysiologic causes. Hence, MR imaging plays a crucial role in the early diagnosis and treatment by identifying imaging patterns when there is limited clinical history in such patients with acute encephalopathy. The aim of this review was to aid in remembrance of etiologies of potentially reversible acute encephalopathic syndromes on MR imaging. The differential includes vascular (reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, transient global amnesia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and thrombotic microangiopathy), infection (meningitis, encephalitis), toxic (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, acute toxic leukoencephalopathy; carbon monoxide, alcohol-related, medication- and illicit drug-related toxic encephalopathies), autoimmune, metabolic (osmotic demyelination syndrome, uremic, acute hepatic encephalopathy), idiopathic/inflammatory (stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy syndrome), neoplasm-related encephalopathy, and seizure-related encephalopathy.
ISSN:0195-6108
1936-959X
DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A6634