title: CT brain findings in a patient with elevated brain cesium levels.
abstract: We describe the CT findings in the brain of a woman with pathologically proven elevated levels of blood and tissue cesium. The 42-year-old woman had been receiving cesium chloride as a non-mainstream treatment for metastatic breast carcinoma. She presented to hospital following a seizure, and died 48 hours after admission. A brain CT performed on hospital admission showed a diffuse increase in attenuation of brain parenchyma. Autopsy revealed elevated levels of cesium in blood and solid organs including the brain. We hypothesize that the imaging findings are attributable to the abnormally elevated level of brain cesium at the time of the CT scan. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this imaging finding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Fremantle Hospital; Perth, Australia - simon.khangure@health.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Khangure
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Welman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D002586:Cesium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002712:Chlorides; D002586:Cesium; C028019:cesium chloride
keywords: brain; cesium; computed tomography