Review
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World J Radiol. Sep 28, 2014; 6(9): 716-725
Published online Sep 28, 2014. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v6.i9.716
MRI in central nervous system infections: A simplified patterned approach
Krithika Rangarajan, Chandan J Das, Atin Kumar, Arun Kumar Gupta
Krithika Rangarajan, Chandan J Das, Atin Kumar, Arun Kumar Gupta, Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar East, New Delhi 110029, India
Author contributions: Rangarajan K and Das CJ wrote most of the manuscript text as well as edited the images; Kumar A and Gupta AK provided valuable inputs, edited the manuscript and approved the content.
Correspondence to: Chandan J Das, MD, Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, Room number 60, New Delhi 110029, India. dascj@yahoo.com
Telephone: +91-11-26594868
Received: January 9, 2014
Revised: July 13, 2014
Accepted: July 27, 2014
Published online: September 28, 2014
Processing time: 259 Days and 11.3 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: The plethora of magnetic resonance sequences available with the radiologist today provides a wealth of information about anatomical, pathological, physiological, functional and molecular aspects of the brain. While this provides an opportunity to transform patient management, the vast number of possibilities can be bewildering, particularly for the radiologist in-training. It is often easy to get lost in the details while forgetting the larger picture. In this article we first classify the infections into broad imaging patterns, and subsequently sub-classify them based on more advanced sequences (molecular and functional imaging). The flow-charts in the article are intended as a source of quick reference to the radiologist when faced with a clinical challenge.