J Korean Radiol Soc.  1992 Jun;28(3):333-338.

MRI findings of herpes simplex encephalitis

• Yoon HK
• Chang KH
• Han MH
• Kim IO
• Cha SH
• Kim SJ

Abstract

We retrospectively analyzed the MR findings of 12 patients with herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) (8 months 64 years old). MR imaging was performed on either a 0.5T (6 patients) or 2.0T (6 patients) superconducting unit with spin echo pulse sequence. The most common and characterristic MR finding consisted of non-hemorrhgic lesions in the cortices of the temporal lobes(12), and insula(6), either bilateral(7) or unilateral(5). The frontal lobe and cingulate gyrus were involved in 4 and 2 patients respectively. Petechial hemorrhge was found in 3 patients. Non-hemorrhagic lesions were shown as high signal intensities on proton and T2WI,and iso-or low signal intensities on T1WI. In conclusion, MR imaging findings described above appear to be characteristic of HSE and were found to be extremely valuable in the diagnosis of HSE.

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex*
Frontal Lobe
Gyrus Cinguli
Herpes Simplex*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Protons
Retrospective Studies
Protons