title: Whole-body MRI as an unconventional diagnostic tool in a pediatric patient with systemic infection.
abstract: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the causative agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), a tickborne infection usually manifesting as fever, malaise, cytopenia, spleen enlargement, and hepatitis. Herein, we report a case of a 14-year-old girl with HGA whose whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disclosed an unusual picture characterized by small, widespread punctuate millimetric nodules, hypointense on T1-weighted and hyperintense on STIR sequences. This firstly reported finding may represent an alternative tool for identifying atypical infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pediatric Division, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Picco
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pediatric Division, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naselli
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pediatric Division, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Radiology, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Damasio
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pediatric Division, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buoncompagni
authors.affiliation: 2nd Pediatric Division, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Insitute and University of Genoa, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
keywords: Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA); infectious diseases; whole-body MRI