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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2017; 27(03): 286-289
DOI: 10.4103/ijri.IJRI_440_16
Neuroradiology & Head and Neck Imaging

Serial brain MRI findings in a rare survivor of rabies encephalitis

Akhilesh Rao
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Yayati Pimpalwar
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Arindam Mukherjee
Department of Neurology, Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Neha Yadu
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Command Hospital (CC), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
› Author Affiliations Financial support and sponsorship Nil.
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Abstract

Rabies is a neurotropic viral illness, almost always fatal, that is equally dreaded by healthcare practitioners and patients due to the dismal prognosis and limited treatment options once symptoms set in. There are hardly any reports on MRI changes in the brain in survivors of rabies encephalitis. We present the clinical course and the imaging findings on serial MRI examinations in a rare patient who survived rabies infection. Initial brain MRI done 8 days after onset of symptoms revealed bilaterally symmetrical non-enhancing areas of T1 and T2 hyperintensity in the basal ganglia, thalami, mid brain, and pons along with T2 hyperintensity and restricted diffusion in fronto-parietal cortical grey matter and left hippocampus. Subsequent MRI scans at 2 months and 5 months revealed progressive brain atrophy, leukoencephalopathy, and gliosis.

Keywords

MRI brain - rabies encephalitis - rabies survivor


Publication History

Article published online:
27 July 2021

© 2017. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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