Brain MRI Findings of Complicated Meningitis in Children: A Cross Sectional Study from Central Iraq

Background Meningitis is a common neurological emergency and a leading cause of death and neurological disability worldwide. MRI is extremely useful for detecting and monitoring the complications of meningitis. The purpose of this study was to describe the brain MRI findings in children with complicated meningitis. Materials and Methods  This cross-sectional study was conducted in Radiology Department at the Central Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq between the period of October 2015 and August 2017. A total of 40 children who were known cases of meningitis that not respond to the conventional treatment and examined with MRI were included in this study. MRI protocols were achieved with Variable Echo Multiplanar sequences and all the images were interpreted by two qualified radiologists for any intracranial findings. Results The mean age of patients was 3.3±3.2 years; 35% of them were infant age group. Females were more than males with a female to male ratio as 1.2:1. About half of children were diagnosed by MRI with necrosis, 30% of them with hydrocephalus, 15% of them with abscess and 7.5% of them with subdural effusion. The hydrocephalus was found among children with lower mean age and abscess was found among children with higher mean age children. Conclusion The main MRI findings of children with complicated meningitis were necrosis, hydrocephalus, abscess and subdural effusion.