title: Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System: A Pictorial Review.
abstract: Fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) pose a threat to especially immunocompromised patients and their development is primarily determined by the immune status of the host. With an increasing number of organ transplants, chemotherapy, and human immunodeficiency virus infections, the number of immunocompromised patients as susceptible hosts is growing and fungal infections of the CNS are more frequently encountered. They may result in meningitis, cerebritis, abscess formation, cryptococcoma, and meningeal vasculitis with rapid disease progression and often overlapping symptoms. Although radiological characteristics are often nonspecific, unique imaging patterns can be identified through computer tomography as a first imaging modality and further refined by magnetic resonance imaging. A rapid diagnosis and the institution of the appropriate therapy are crucial in helping prevent an often fatal outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gavito-Higuera
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
authors.forename: Carola Birgit
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ramos-Duran
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
authors.forename: Cristina Ivette
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Olivas Chacon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
authors.forename: Nawar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hakim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tulane University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palacios
keywords: Brain abscess; cryptococcoma; fungal cerebritis; fungal meningitis; human immune deficiency virus; vascular cerebral fungal infections