Magnetic resonance imaging in central nervous system tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) in any form is a devastating disease, which in its most severe form involves the central nervous system (CNS), with a high mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis of CNS TB is necessary for appropriate treatment to reduce this morbidity and mortality. Routine diagnostic techniques...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Richa Trivedi, Sona Saksena, Rakesh K Gupta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2009-10-01
Series:Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.4103/0971-3026.57205
Description
Summary:Tuberculosis (TB) in any form is a devastating disease, which in its most severe form involves the central nervous system (CNS), with a high mortality and morbidity. Early diagnosis of CNS TB is necessary for appropriate treatment to reduce this morbidity and mortality. Routine diagnostic techniques involve culture and immunological tests of the tissue and biofluids, which are time-consuming and may delay definitive management. Noninvasive imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are routinely used in the diagnosis of neurotuberculosis, with MRI offering greater inherent sensitivity and specificity than CT scan. In addition to conventional MRI imaging, magnetization transfer imaging, diffusion imaging, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques are also being evaluated for better tissue characterization in CNS TB. The current article reviews the role of various MRI techniques in the diagnosis and management of CNS TB.
ISSN:0971-3026
1998-3808