Dogs and cats with presumed or confirmed intracranial abscessation have low apparent diffusion coefficient values

Vet Radiol Ultrasound. 2022 Mar;63(2):197-200. doi: 10.1111/vru.13064. Epub 2022 Jan 20.

Abstract

Intracranial abscessation is a life-threatening condition in dogs and cats, and rapid diagnosis is important for prognosis and treatment planning. The aims of this retrospective, single-center, case series study were to describe clinical and MRI diffusion-weighted imaging characteristics in three dogs and three cats with presumed or confirmed intracranial abscessation. All lesions appeared hyperintense on b1000 trace diffusion-weighted images, hypointense on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map, with mean ADC values ranging from 0.37 to 1.24 × 10-3 mm2 /s. The majority (5/6) of the obtained mean ADC values were low (<1.10 × 10-3 mm2 /s), as previously reported in the human literature.

Keywords: DWI; MRI; brain; infection.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cat Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
  • Cats
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / veterinary
  • Dog Diseases* / diagnostic imaging
  • Dogs
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Retrospective Studies