후뇌염의 영상 소견 스펙트럼: 임상 화보

Rhombencephalitis is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by inflammation or infection involving the hindbrain, or rhombencephalon. This syndrome is also clinically diverse, with a wide range of etiologies and varying prognoses. The causes of rhombencephalitis include infections, paraneoplastic syndromes, demyelinating disorders, and autoimmune conditions. Neuroimaging, especially MRI, plays an indispensable role in the diagnosis and topographic evaluation of abnormalities. Bacterial rhombencephalitis, particularly that caused by Listeria monocytogenes, commonly affects the dorsal brainstem and proximal cervical spinal cord. Viral rhombencephalitis caused by pathogens such as enterovirus 71 and herpes simplex virus manifests with distinct imaging patterns that aid in differentiating it from other causes. Paraneoplastic rhombencephalitis is associated with malignancies such as small cell lung carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, and lymphoma. Demyelinating conditions such as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease also demonstrate brainstem involvement with distinctive characteristics. Other uncommon causes of rhombencephalitis include autoimmune diseases such as Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis and Neuro-Behçet's disease. Understanding these imaging patterns is crucial for timely diagnosis and differentiation of underlying causes, improving patient management and outcomes. This pictorial review provides a comprehensive overview of the imaging characteristics of various causes of rhombencephalitis.