Objectives: You will learn
Excess accumulation of water in brain.
What are the common reasons for brain edema due to loss of blood brain barrier?
What imaging procedure is helpful in detecting brain edema?
How does edema appear in CT and MRI?
Consequences of edema:
Figure 1 |
Localized extracellular edemaCase1: 81 year old male with few months of confusion, poor memory, getting lost, misplacing items; left homonymous hemianopsia noted on exam. Imaging findings: Figure 1: MR images
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Figure 2 |
Localized extracellular edemaCase 2:
Image findings: Figure 2: Pre-contrast axial CT scan 60 year-old patient with melanoma. Hemorrhage is from metastatic tumor bleed.
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Figure 3 |
What are the other associated imaging consequences of edema?
Mass effect producing compression of left lateral ventricles. Case 3: Image findings: Figure 3: Pre-contrast axial CT scan
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Figure 4 |
Subdural HematomaCase 4:
Image findings: Figure 4: Pre contrast axial CT scan
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Figure 5 |
Extracellular edemaDiffuse brain edemaCase 5: 30 year old patient with head trauma. Image findings: Figure 5: Pre-contrast axial CT
Common causes are head trauma, anoxia, infections, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) and high altitude. |
Figure 6 |
Intracellular cytotoxic edemaCase 6: Acute one day old infarction involving the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. Image findings: Figure 6: MR images
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