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Non-congenital viral infections of the central nervous system: from the immunocompetent to the immunocompromised child

Pediatric Radiology volume 50, pages 1757–1767 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Non-congenital viral infections of the central nervous system in children can represent a severe clinical condition that needs a prompt diagnosis and management. However, the aetiological diagnosis can be challenging because symptoms are often nonspecific and cerebrospinal fluid analysis is not always diagnostic. In this context, neuroimaging represents a helpful tool, even though radiologic patterns sometimes overlap. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to suggest a schematic representation of different radiologic patterns of non-congenital viral encephalomyelitis based on the predominant viral tropism and vulnerability of specific regions: cortical grey matter, deep grey matter, white matter, brainstem, cerebellum and spine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuroradiology Unit, NESMOS Department, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Giulia Moltoni, Luca Pasquini, Andrea Romano, Alberto Di Napoli, Alessandro Bozzao & Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet

  2. Neuroradiology Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK

    Felice D’Arco

  3. Neuroradiology Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Piazza Sant’Onofrio 4, 00100, Rome, Italy

    Luca Pasquini, Chiara Carducci, Daniela Longo & Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet

  4. Neuroradiology Unit, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Aashim Bhatia

  5. Department of Paediatric Neurology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK

    Marios Kaliakatsos

  6. Pediatric and Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Laura Lancella

Authors
  1. Giulia Moltoni
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  2. Felice D’Arco
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  3. Luca Pasquini
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  4. Chiara Carducci
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  5. Aashim Bhatia
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  6. Daniela Longo
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  7. Marios Kaliakatsos
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  8. Laura Lancella
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  9. Andrea Romano
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  10. Alberto Di Napoli
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  11. Alessandro Bozzao
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  12. Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet
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Correspondence to Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet.

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Moltoni, G., D’Arco, F., Pasquini, L. et al. Non-congenital viral infections of the central nervous system: from the immunocompetent to the immunocompromised child. Pediatr Radiol 50, 1757–1767 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04746-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04746-6

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