PREAMPUTATION MR-IMAGING IN MENINGOCOCCEMIA AND COMPARISON TO CONVENTIONAL ARTERIOGRAPHY

Meningococcemia is a life-threatening infection which produces purpura fulminans and extremity gangrene in its most severe form. In patients with gangrene, amputation is usually necessary. The amputations frequ ently need revision as ischemic changes in the underlying soft tissues and bone are difficult to evaluate at the time of surgery. These isch emic changes often have non-vascular distributions and progress over t ime. We present two patients in whom MR imaging and MR angiography wer e performed prior to planned amputation. These cases demonstrate the p otential utility of MR imaging in this setting, and compare the MR ang iographic results to conventional arteriography in one of these patien ts.