Abstract #0939

Brekken C, Antal E, Goa P, Lberg E, Melby K, Mhlen J, Haraldseth O, Pedersen T

Brain stem encephalitis may arise during infection with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. Early diagnosis is of vital importance. The aim of this study was to test the ability of sequential cerebral MRI (7T) to visualize early brain stem encephalitis in mice. The MRI protocol consisted of tri-axial and sagittal scout scans, axial T2-w, and axial or 3D T1-w started ~10 min after i.p. injection of Gadodiamide. Our study shows that cerebral MRI examination can identify listeria brain stem encephalitis at a sub-clinical stage in mice. The MDEFT images demonstrate the applicability of this sequence in post-contrast T1-weighted MRI at 7T.