Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome

Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome

This is a set of cranial MRIs from a patient with osmotic demyelination syndrome, formerly called central pontine myelinolysis. Osmotic demyelination syndrome occurs when wide fluxes in serum sodium levels are induced by too rapid correction of hyponatremia. Oligodendrocytes, which forms the myelin sheaths, are particularly vulnerable to osmotic changes. If the osmotic stress is…

Skull Fracture

Skull Fracture

This is a non-contrast cranial CT from a patient who sustained a fall injury, landing on the back of the head. The CT here shows the cranium utilizing the “bone window”. One can appreciate that the details of the skull bone is shown in greater detail. In contrast, the contents within the skull as well…

Hemi-craniectomy

Hemi-craniectomy

This is a non-contrast cranial CT from a middle-aged man with multiple cardiovascular risk factors who suffered a severe ischaemic stroke involving the left middle cerebral artery territory. There was significant cytotoxic cerebral oedema as a result of the extensive infarction. The patient was operated on by the Neurosurgeons and a left hemi-craniectomy was performed…

Calcifications seen on a Normal Non-contrast Cranial CT

Calcifications seen on a Normal Non-contrast Cranial CT

Intracranial calcifications are frequently seen in non-contrast CT scans. These are often due to age-related physiological changes of the brain but can occasionally be mistaken as an intra-cerebral hemorrhage. The most common sites of intracranial calcifications include the basal ganglia (often bilateral,  Figure 1), pineal gland  (Figure 1), choroid plexus (often bilateral,  Figure 1), dentate…