Rabies other imaging findings

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Iqra Qamar M.D.[2]

Overview

Electroencephalography (EEG) may be helpful in the diagnosis of rabies. Findings on EEG include, drop in the EEG amplitude. Angiography may demonstrate narrowing of the terminal internal carotid arteries and distal basilar artery due to vasospasm.

Electroencephalography (EEG) may be helpful in the diagnosis of rabies. Findings on EEG suggestive of rabies include:^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]
- Encephalopathic changes such as precipitous drop in the EEG amplitude (during 1st week due to spasm of blood vessels)
- Findings reversible with blood flow

It can be differentiated from brain death by
- Cerebral arterial flow scanning
- Brain biopsy

↑ Willoughby RE, Tieves KS, Hoffman GM, Ghanayem NS, Amlie-Lefond CM, Schwabe MJ, Chusid MJ, Rupprecht CE (2005). “Survival after treatment of rabies with induction of coma”. N. Engl. J. Med. 352 (24): 2508–14. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa050382. PMID 15958806.
↑ Hantson P, Guérit JM, de Tourtchaninoff M, Deconinck B, Mahieu P, Dooms G, Aubert-Tulkens G, Brucher JM (1993). “Rabies encephalitis mimicking the electrophysiological pattern of brain death. A case report”. Eur. Neurol. 33 (3): 212–7. PMID 8467840.
↑ Hemachudha T (1994). “Human rabies: clinical aspects, pathogenesis, and potential therapy”. Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 187: 121–43. PMID 7859488.
↑ Willoughby RE, Roy-Burman A, Martin KW, Christensen JC, Westenkirschner DF, Fleck JD, Glaser C, Hyland K, Rupprecht CE (2008). “Generalised cranial artery spasm in human rabies”. Dev Biol (Basel). 131: 367–75. PMID 18634498.