J Korean Soc Radiol.  2021 Sep;82(5):1274-1280. 10.3348/jksr.2020.0173.

Fulminant Course of Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Followed by Serial MRI: A Case Report

• Lee JY
• Lee KM
• Yeon EK
• Lee EH
• Kim EJ

• KMID: 2520707
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2020.0173

Abstract

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rare but distinctive type of influenza-associated encephalopathy characterized by symmetric multiple lesions with an invariable thalamic involvement. Although the exact pathogenesis of ANE remains unclear, the most prevalent hypothesis is the “cytokine storm,” which results in blood-brain-barrier breakdown. We present the case of a 10-year-old boy with fulminant ANE confirmed with serial MRI studies, including diffusion-weighted imaging and susceptibility-weighted imaging. A comparison of these serial images demonstrated detailed and longitudinal changes in MRI findings during the clinical course corresponding to pathophysiological changes. Our case clarifies the pathogenesis of ANE brain lesions using serial imaging studies and suggests that early immunomodulatory therapy reduces brain damage.

Keyword

Infectious Encephalitis; Viral Encephalitis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neuroimaging