title: Significance of the T2*-weighted gradient echo brain imaging in patients with infective endocarditis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although aneurysm formation accompanying parenchymal hemorrhage is one of devastating complications in the central nerves system (CNS), imaging studies of the brain are not routinely warranted in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). To assess the clinical importance for detecting silent lesions in the central nervous system, we investigated hypointense signal spots detected on the brain T2*-weighted MR imaging in patients with IE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients with IE were retrospectively reviewed. Seven patients (63.6%) showed hypointense signal spots on T2*-weighted MR images. The number of hypointense signal spots increased within only a few weeks in five patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The brain T2*-weighted MR imaging in patients with IE may have a potential role to detect CNS lesions with clinical significance of potentially high risk of intracranial hemorrhage. T2*-weighted hypointense signal spots may be specific to brain involvement, and be quite useful in monitoring CNS lesions associated with IE, even if they are asymptomatic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morofuji
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morikawa
authors.forename: Tateishi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yohei
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suyama
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult