Central nervous system disorders

III./3.4.: Take home messages

• - Imaging methods have no primary role in the diagnosis of purulent meningitis.

• - CT and MR in the diagnostics of meningitis:

• - as a source of extension of an infection, paranasal sinuses should be taken into account in this respect 

• - to detect the possible cerebral abscess, ventriculitis, subdural effusion or empyema elsewhere

• - follow-up of the process: to detect the possible referring infarction or hydrocephalus.

Subdural hydrocephalus, empyema, cerebritis, abscess can be detected by US in infants, and also by CT in elderly age, but the best imaging method is the MR