Mucormycosis MRI

Black turbinate sign in rhinocerebral mucormycosis (devitalization of the sinonasal mucosa caused by mycotic vascular invasion

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Syed Hassan A. Kazmi BSc, MD [2]

Overview

MRI in mucormycosis tends to show isotense or hypointense in all sequences. The black turbinate sign is an important finding in rhinocerebral involvement.

Key MRI Findings in Mucormycosis

MRI in rhinocerebral mucormycosis may demonstrate:

• Black turbinate sign (devitalization of the sinonasal mucosa caused by mycotic vascular invasion).
• MRI signal intensity of mucormycosis lesions tends to be isointense or hypointense in all sequences.
• Gadolinium contrast shows the lesions to have variable enhancement patterns ranging from homogeneous to heterogenous or non-enhancing at all.
• Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images are helpful in establishing the intracranial spread when meningeal enhancement is present as well as in identifying invasion of the cavernous portion of the internal carotid artery by the disease.