Infectious Diseases of the Brain and Spine: Fungal Diseases

Dhairya A Lakhani; Francis Deng; Doris D M Lin

doi:10.1016/j.mric.2024.02.001

Infectious Diseases of the Brain and Spine: Fungal Diseases

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2024 May;32(2):335-346. doi: 10.1016/j.mric.2024.02.001.

Authors

Dhairya A Lakhani¹, Francis Deng¹, Doris D M Lin²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Phipps B-100 Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
² Division of Neuroradiology, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Phipps B-100 Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. Electronic address: ddmlin@jhmi.edu.

PMID: 38555144
DOI: 10.1016/j.mric.2024.02.001

Abstract

Advances in treatments of autoimmune diseases, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, organ transplantation, and the use of long-term devices have increased the rates of atypical infections due to prolonged immune suppression. There is a significant overlap in imaging findings of various fungal infections affecting the central nervous system (CNS), often mimicking those seen in neoplastic and noninfectious inflammatory conditions. Nonetheless, there are imaging characteristics that can aid in distinguishing certain atypical infections. Hence, familiarity with a wide range of infectious agents is an important part of diagnostic neuroradiology. In this article, an in-depth review of fungal diseases of the CNS is provided.

Keywords: Atypical central nervous system infections; Fungal central nervous system infections; Transmissible central nervous system infections.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Brain / diagnostic imaging
Communicable Diseases*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Mycoses* / diagnostic imaging
Spine