3-year-old male status post intubation with recent fever; evaluate for cerebral edema. There is a focus of hypoattenuation in the right basal ganglia which is somewhat nonspecific on this nonenhanced CT scan. Additional hypoattenuating regions are seen in the bilateral posterior parietal/occipital lobes with extension to the cerebral cortex. Further imaging with MRI is recommended. There is no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage or midline shift. The gray-white matter differentiation appears somewhat indistinct. There is diffuse loss of the cortical sulci which can be seen as a normal variant in young patients; however this may also suggest diffuse cerebral edema.The ventricles and basal cisterns are normal in size and configuration. The calvaria and skull base are radiographically normal. There is partial opacification of the right mastoid air cells and middle ear cavity.
1. Findings suspicious for cerebral edema. 2. Nonspecific foci of hypoattenuation in the right thalamus and bilateral posterior parietal/occipital lobes. Further imaging with MRI is recommended. 3. Partial opacification of the right mastoid air cells and middle air cavity is nonspecific, but otomastoiditis cannot be excluded.