title: Magnetic resonance imaging features of pathologically proven cerebral sparganosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to identify characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of cerebral sparganosis, a rare parasitic disease caused by the plerocercoid larva of Spirometra mansoni.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study reviewed medical records, computed tomography (CT) and MRI scans and pathological specimens from patients with pathologically proven cerebral sparganosis. The location, signal intensity and contrast enhancement characteristics of the lesions were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Records of 12 patients (seven male and five female; age range 8-35 years) were reviewed. A total of 13 lesions were identified: of the 10 patients with supratentorial lesions, nine had a single lesion and one had bilateral hemispheric lesions. Two patients had a single lesion in the ependyma of the 4(th) ventricle. All lesions were iso-hypointense on T1-weighted images, slightly hypointense on T2-weighted images and surrounded by extensive oedema. Ten of the 13 lesions demonstrated a 'string-knots sign', characterized by a tangled string in a knot-like shape on contrast-enhanced MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A string-knots sign enhancement pattern in cortical-subcortical regions should suggest the diagnosis of cerebral sparganosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shuguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Xingsui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gejun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Feijia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xv
authors.forename: Chi-Shing
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Zee
authors.forename: Zhenwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013031:Sparganosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D013146:Spirometra / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Cerebral sparganosis; Spirometra mansoni; enhancement; magnetic resonance imaging; string-knots sign