MRI FINDINGS IN LISTERIA-MONOCYTOGENES RH OMBENCEPHALITIDIS

Rhombencephalitidis is a serious form of brainstem inflammation, diffi cult to diagnose on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings alon e. We describe the MR appearance of 3 cases of Listeria monocytogenes rhombencephalitidis and correlate the findings with clinical informati on. MR imaging is crucial for early diagnosis of this illness: patchy signal hyperintensity throughout the medulla and cerebellar peduncles on T2 weighted images, always in association with a hypointense dot; n umerous gadolinium-enhanced microabcesses in the rhombencephalon. MR i maging is very useful for follow-up examinations.