Imaging patterns and differential diagnosis of toxic and metabolic brain diseases

Toxic and metabolic diseases that affect the central nervous system usually exhibit certain imaging features and distribution, and need to be closely clinically related to help confirm the diagnosis
.

MRI findings: bilateral symmetrical lesions, limited diffusion, no or mild mass effect, no enhancement

Susceptible sites include cortical gray matter, deep gray matter nuclei, thalamus, periventricular white matter, and corpus
callosum.

Toxic and metabolic brain diseases

The most important mode of image expression

Toxic and metabolic encephalopathy

Between the specific site of involvement and its most likely diagnosis

Correlation diagram (15 types)

Traditionally, vasogenic and cytotoxic edema have been associated
with changes in toxic and metabolic encephalopathy.
Each type of cerebral edema results in specific imaging findings
.
More recently, other pathological concepts have been used in neuroimaging to describe and explain certain imaging findings and diseases, such as the concept of
excitotoxic injury and intramedullary edema.
The figure below depicts a schematic diagram
of the most important changes that each type of edema affects brain tissue.

Pathophysiology related knowledge:

Schematic diagram of the types of cerebral edema