MRI in central nervous system infections: A simplified patterned approach

Core Tip

Core tip: The plethora of magnetic resonance sequences available with the radiologist today provides a wealth of information about anatomical, pathological, physiological, functional and molecular aspects of the brain. While this provides an opportunity to transform patient management, the vast number of possibilities can be bewildering, particularly for the radiologist in-training. It is often easy to get lost in the details while forgetting the larger picture. In this article we first classify the infections into broad imaging patterns, and subsequently sub-classify them based on more advanced sequences (molecular and functional imaging). The flow-charts in the article are intended as a source of quick reference to the radiologist when faced with a clinical challenge.