Brain Abscess

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in cerebral abscess, as with most other forms of intracranial inflammatory or infectious diseases, is a powerful though largely nonspecific diagnostic tool. This unit presents a variant of a previously published standard imaging protocol, to include gadolinium-enhanced sequences for imaging of these patients. Several optional sequences, including diffusion (dMRI), perfusion (pMRI), and spectroscopic (MRS) sequences are outlined that can be employed should patient tolerance allow and if specific clinical situations require further clarification. The parameters given in this unit are derived from experience at 1.5 T and may need to be altered slightly depending on the field strength available and the specific equipment manufacturer.