CNS infections Flashcards
(149 cards)
congenital infections of the fetal and neonatal brain are commonly referred to as the group of ____. they often result in significant brain injury, and congenital brain malformations are more frequently seen with earlier onset of infections in utero due to disruption of the normal CNS development during fetal gestation
TORCH
TORCH infection includes
toxoplasmosis, other infections (syphilis, varicella zoster, lymphocytic choriomeningitis), rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex
another important virus now recognized prenatal CNS infection aside from TORCH
Zika virus
member of the herpes family of viruses andis the most common congenital CNS infection. In utero transmission occurs hematogeneously during viral reactivation in seropositive pregnant women or primary infection during pregnancy
Cytomegalovirus
30 to 50% of CMV infection is from
transplacental transmission
symptomatic neonates with this viral infection may have hepatosplenomegaly, jaundice, cerebral involvement (psychomotor retardation), chorioretinitis and deafness. virus also preferentially multiplies along the ependyma and germinal matrix resulting in a periventricular pattern of injury and development of dystrophic calcifications
CMV
calcifications of the basal ganglia or cortex are not seen in CMV but are noted in
congenital toxoplasmosis
this viral infection cause loss of periventricular white matter which then forms custs, ventriculomegaly and microcephaly. infection during the first trimester can result in neuronal migration anomalies such as heterotopia and lissencephaly and disorders of cortical organization including schizencephaly, polymicrogyria and cortical dysplasia. delayed myelination and cerebellar hypoplasia are also common findings
CMV
caused by parasite protozoan, results from hematogeneous spread after pregnant woman eats undercooked meat or is exposed to cat feces, both of which can harbor viable oocysts
toxoplasmosis
toxoplasmosis causes
necrotizing encephalitis of fetal brain, during first 2 trimester of gestation, but typically no developmental malformations. microcephaly, chorioretinitis and mental retardation
imaging findings of toxoplasmosis
atrophy, dilated ventricles, dystrophic calcifications scattered in the white matter, basal ganglia and cortex
a rodent-borne arena virus which can closely mimic toxoplasmosis and CMV on neonatal neuroimaging. onset of infection in first trimester often leads to spontaneous abortion. presents with chorioretinitis, either hydrocephalus or microcephaly but with results of accompanying microbiologic and serologic studies being negative for more common congenital pathogens. cerebral calcifications can be periventricular in location and/or distributed between white matter, deep gray nuclei and cortex
lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)
encephalitis in neonates often results from infection during descent through the birth canal when the mother has genital infection with _____
herpes virus type 2
if patient survives with neonatal HSV 2, the following manifestations may be seen
varying degrees of microcephaly, mental retardation, microphthalamia, enlarged ventricles, intracranial calcifications and multicystic encephalomalacia
early in the course of HSV encephalitis, US will show
increased parenchymal echogenicity
CT findings in HSV encephalitis
diffuse brain swelling or bilateral patchy areas of hypodensity in the cerebral white matter and cortex, with relative sparing of the basal ganglia, thalami and posterior fossa structures. these hypodense lesions correspond to areas of T2 hyperintensity on MRI and progress to areas of necrosis and cystic encephalomalacia
true or false: opportunistic infections and neoplasms seen in adults with AIDS are not usually seen in young children
true
affected infants of this viral infection are more susceptible to respiratory infections and diarrhea that can present with encephalopathy, developmental delay and failure to thrive. it primarily affects white matter and basal ganglia, especially globi pallidi, best seen with CT, while MRI alows better demonstration of T2 hyperintense white matter abnormalities. in some cases, there is associated vasculopathy with fusiform dilatation and ectasia of the intracranial arteries
congenital HIV
viral infection that cause diffuse meningoencephalitis, brain infarction and necrosis. infants who survive severe infection present with microcephaly, ocular abnormalities and deafness. CT reveals dystropic calcifications in the deep gray nuclei and cortex, whereas MRI better demonstrates infarcts, white matter loss and occassionally delayed myelination
rubella
is a flavivirus which originated in Africa and southeast asia and is transmitted by several species of mosquitoes, especially Aedes aegypti. presents with congenital microcephaly and CNS malformations. unlike CMV, it does not have predilection for the germinal matrix
Zika virus
this virus impairs cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis and cell death. CT best demonstrates both punctate or linear calcifications which localize predominantly to the gray-white junction in the frontal and parietal lobes, and to a lesser extend along the deep gray nuclei and periventricular zone. MRI may show brain volume loss, ventriculomegaly, abnormal myelination, callosal dysgenesis, heterotopia, lissencephaly and polymicrogyria
Zika virus
these extra-axial collections are generally confined by dural attachments which prevent rapid expansion of abscesses and account for their lentiform shape and convex inner margins
epidural
these extra-axial collections can spread more easily thoough the subdural space and be more acutely life threatening, thus requiring rapid neurosurgical intervention
subdural empyemas
frontal sinusitis in children can be complicated by osteomyelitis, with subperiosteal, epidural or subdural abscesses. this is referred to as
pott puffy tumor