Transient decrease in cerebral white matter diffusivity on MR imaging in human herpes virus-6 encephalopathy

Manami Akasaka; Makoto Sasaki; Shigeru Ehara; Atsushi Kamei; Shoichi Chida

doi:10.1016/j.braindev.2004.03.009

Transient decrease in cerebral white matter diffusivity on MR imaging in human herpes virus-6 encephalopathy

Brain Dev. 2005 Jan;27(1):30-3. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2004.03.009.

Authors

Manami Akasaka¹, Makoto Sasaki, Shigeru Ehara, Atsushi Kamei, Shoichi Chida

Affiliation

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-8505, Japan. manami-imed@umin.ac.jp

PMID: 15626538
DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2004.03.009

Abstract

We report a 16-month-old boy with human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) encephalopathy showing transient abnormalities of the cerebral white matter on magnetic resonance imaging. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) demonstrated diffuse high signal intensity in the bilateral cerebral white matter areas. The signal changes on DWI subsequently resolved, and cerebral atrophy resulted. The transient decrease in the cerebral white matter diffusivity seen in the present case may reflect axonal involvement secondary to the glial or neuronal damage in HHV-6 encephalopathy.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Atrophy / diagnosis
Atrophy / physiopathology
Atrophy / virology
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Disease Progression
Encephalitis, Viral / diagnosis*
Encephalitis, Viral / physiopathology
Encephalitis, Viral / virology*
Herpesvirus 6, Human*
Humans
Infant
Male
Nerve Degeneration / diagnosis
Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
Nerve Degeneration / virology
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / pathology
Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / virology
Neural Pathways / pathology
Neural Pathways / physiopathology
Neural Pathways / virology
Roseolovirus Infections / diagnosis*
Roseolovirus Infections / physiopathology
Telencephalon / pathology*
Telencephalon / physiopathology
Telencephalon / virology*