encephalomalacia

Encephalomalacia is term given to describe softening or loss of brain parenchyma with or without surrounding gliosis, as a late manifestation of injury.

Clinical presentation

• asymptomatic 
• serve as a focus of seizure

Pathology

Encephalomalacia is the end result of liquefactive necrosis of brain parenchyma following insult, usually occurring after cerebral ischemia, cerebral infection, hemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, surgery or other insults. It is not synonymous with gliosis, which is the proliferation of glial cells in response to injury.

Subtypes

• multicystic encephalomalacia

Radiographic features

CT

• region of hypoattenuation
• volume loss
• can occur anywhere however has characteristic locations are anteroinferior frontal and temporal lobes
• often associated with gliosis and Wallerian degeneration

MRI

Follows CSF signal on all sequences.

See also

• Wallerian degeneration
• porenchephaly
• gliosis

Siehe auch:

• multicystic encephalomalacia
• gliosis
• post traumatic encephalomalacia
• Porenzephalie

und weiter:

• focal gliosis