Pictorial review on constellation of imaging findings of brain death on 3T MRI

Abstract

Brain death is physiological loss of function of all intracranial structures above foramen magnum. Imaging is ancillary and are not substitute for clinical diagnosis of brain death. MRI can be useful supplementary diagnostic test for diagnosing brain death especially in cases where bed side clinical tests cannot be performed. No single sign in MRI is specific for brain death. Tonsillar herniation, loss of flow void in bilateral internal carotid arteries and vertebral arteries, swollen cortical gyri, edematous, cerebellar folia with white matter hyperintensities, effacement of the ventricular system, uncal herniation compressing over the midbrain, brain stem swelling, dilated veins showing increased susceptibility phenomenon due to increase deoxyhemoglobin, diffuse restriction in cerebral cortex are some of the features of brain death we present the imaging signs brain which we came across in two patients.

Keywords

• brain death
• tonsillar herniation
• brain stem reflexes
• imaging signs
• 3tesla mri