MRI features of pediatric cerebral paragonimiasis in the active stage

We retrospectively reviewed the MR images of the brains of six children (age = 5-13 years) who had cerebral paragonimiasis in the early active stage. Diagnosis was based on a positive antibody test enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for paragonimiasis in serum. The most common finding (in five patients) was irregular hemorrhage of various degrees. Moreover, in three cases some multiple irregular lesions with surrounding edema appeared to be conglomerated and aggregated. The rare appearance (in one patient) was a "tunnel sign," which showed the migrating track of the adult worm. In one patient with abscess and minimal hemorrhage, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) showed a heterogeneous high signal of lesions. Other findings included slight (one patient) or marked (one patient) irregular contrast enhancement, and large edematous areas surrounding small centers of hemorrhage (two patients). MR findings of conglomerated lesions with hemorrhage or tunnel sign may help to establish the diagnosis of active-stage cerebral paragonimiasis.