title: Diffusion-weighted imaging findings in hemolytic uremic syndrome with central nervous system involvement.
abstract: Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a multisystem disease that can affect central nervous system in up to 50% of cases. Central nervous system involvement can be clinically severe and its pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. Various magnetic resonance imaging findings, on conventional sequences, documenting the involvement of deep gray-matter structures, have been described. Diffusion-weighted imaging features of brain lesions have been reported only in 2 cases, but the potential role of this technique has not been considered yet. We describe a 19-month-old child affected by hemolytic uremic syndrome with basal ganglia lesions documented by diffusion-weighted imaging, with a 42-day neuroradiological follow-up and a 6-month clinical follow-up. In our case, diffusion-weighted imaging was more sensible in detecting the affected brain areas compared to T1, suggesting that reduced apparent diffusion coefficient values in the acute phase could reliably identify irreversible brain lesions in hemolytic uremic syndrome patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Padua, Padova, Italy. irene.toldo@unipd.it
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manara
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cogo
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murer
authors.forename: Pier Antonio
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Battistella
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Laverda
mesh_terms: D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant