MRI findings of hemolytic uremic syndrome with encephalopathy: widespread symmetrical distribution.

The authors report the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a 22-year-old woman with hemolytic uremic syndrome and encephalopathy secondary to verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Multiple lesions in the midbrain, cerebellum, occipital lobe, and basal ganglia showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted images with widespread symmetrical distribution. Most of these findings showed remarkable reduction on MRI images obtained 70 days after the onset. It is suggested that edema induced by local breakdown of blood-brain barrier might play an important role in the patient.