Imaging Features of Acute Encephalopathy in Patients with COVID-19: A Case Series

The authors present 5 cases that illustrate varying imaging presentations of acute encephalopathy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. MR features include leukoencephalopathy, diffusion restriction that involves the GM and WM, microhemorrhages, and leptomeningitis. Coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. There is a scarcity of data on coronavirus disease 2019-related brain imaging features. We present 5 cases that illustrate varying imaging presentations of acute encephalopathy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. MR features include leukoencephalopathy, diffusion restriction that involves the GM and WM, microhemorrhages, and leptomeningitis. We believe it is important for radiologists to be familiar with the neuroradiologic imaging spectrum of acute encephalopathy in the coronavirus disease 2019 population.