Cerebral malaria is a protozoal disease affecting the brain caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The hallmark of cerebral malaria is progressive decline in the sensorium leading to coma and in some cases death. MR findings reported in cerebral malaria are diffuse cerebral swelling / edema, bilateral nearly symmetrical T2 hyperintense lesions in basal ganglia and similar lesions in thalamus, pons and cerebellum. The imaging findings of cerebral malaria depend on the duration of the illness and time of MR examination. We describe two patients of cerebral malaria having mixed Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivex infestation showing bilateral basal ganglia infarcts with cerebral swelling in one patient and bilateral basal ganglia and cerebellar lesions in the other.
Acute bacterial meningitis is a severe CNS infection occurring mostly in infants and older children. Bacterial meningitis caused by gram-negative bacteria is usually fatal. Klebsiella pneumoniae is an uncommon gram-negative bacteria causing meningitis with a poor outcome. Though the commonest presentation of bacterial meningitis is fever, patients usually seek medical attention for uncontrolled seizure and features of raised ICP. The commonest complications of gram-negative bacterial meningitis including Klebsiella meningitis are subdural hygroma / empyema, hydrocephalus, infarcts (both arterial and venous) and cortical blindness due to hypoxic ischaemic insult. MRI is the best modality for evaluating these patients for early diagnosis. Early institution of treatment significantly reduces the mortality and morbidity. We describe a case of acute bacterial meningitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae with MR evidence of sinus thrombosis, venous infarcts and subdural hygroma.
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