Computed tomography of delayed encephalopathy of acute carbon monoxide poisoning: correlation with clinicalfindings

Abstract

Cerebral computed tomography (CT) findings were described in twenty-six cases with the late sequelae of acute carbon monoxide poisoning and were compared with the neurological symptoms and signs. The CT findings include symmetrical peri ventricular white matter low density in five cases, globus pallidus low density in six cases, ventricular dilatation in seven cases, ventricular dilatation and sulci widening in three cases, and normal findings in ten cases. Only one case showed low densities in both periventricular white matter and globus pallidus. Late sequelae of the interval form of carbon monoxide poisoning were clinically categorized as cortical dysfunction, parkinsonian feature, and cerebellar dysfunction. The severity of the clinical symptoms and signs of neurological sequelae is generally correlated with presence and multiplicity of abnormal brain CT findings. But of fourteen cases showing the parkinsonian feature, only five cases had low density of globus pallidus in brain CT. Another case showing small unilateral low density of globus pallidus had no parkinsonian feature but showed mild cortical dysfunction.