Neuroimaging of Infectious Vasculopathy

Vasculopathy is an important consequence of several intracranial and systemic infections, whose recognition is important because many of these diseases are amenable to treatment and have a poor prognosis if left untreated. Ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke, transient ischemic attack, aneurysm formation, and cerebral micro bleeds are consequences of infectious vasculopathy. Neuroimaging, especially MRI, can be of utmost utility in demonstrating these complications. Lumen-based imaging modalities, such as CTA and MRA, also demonstrate features of vasculitis. Finally, high-resolution intracranial VWI can directly evaluate the vessel wall and reveal signs of vasculitis (Fig. 21).

Automated summary

Vasculopathy is a significant consequence of various infections, and early recognition is essential as many of these diseases have poor outcomes if left untreated. Neuroimaging techniques such as MRI, CTA, and MRA can be used to visualize the complications associated with infectious vasculopathy, while high-resolution intracranial vessel wall imaging can directly assess the presence of vasculitis.