Journal article
Imaging Findings in Parasitic and Vector-borne Infections of the Head, Neck, and Spine
Radiographics, Vol.46(4), e250108
04/2026
DOI: 10.1148/rg.250108
PMID: 41855075
Abstract
While many parasitic and vector-borne infections have traditionally been considered to have geographically limited distribution, factors including climate change, the immigration and world travel of individuals, and the importing and exporting of goods continue to shift ecosystems and expand the geographic distributions of parasites and insect vectors and the infections they transmit. Because they may be unexpected, cases emerging in regions of nonendemicity can result in a medical mystery, and because appropriate management relies on an accurate diagnosis, identification of these diseases is vital. Radiologists should be aware of these infections and their potential sequelae to help limit the delays in diagnoses and potentially lifesaving treatment that can occur if the diagnosis is not promptly suggested and investigated. Although some imaging findings are nonspecific, a knowledgeable radiologist can play a crucial role in correlating imaging features or patterns of features with laboratory findings and available clinical information to reveal the diagnosis and/or develop a differential diagnosis. The authors describe a variety of parasitic and vector-borne infections that affect humans, with a specific focus on those that manifest in the head, neck, and spine. A brief introduction to these infections is provided and includes relevant epidemiologic factors, clinical presentations, and potential complications, with the sequelae associated with head, neck, and nervous system infections more thoroughly described. Case examples are included to demonstrate the imaging features associated with acute and chronic and common and uncommon sequelae of these infections across multiple imaging modalities.
RSNA, 2026 Supplemental material is available for this article.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Imaging Findings in Parasitic and Vector-borne Infections of the Head, Neck, and Spine
- Creators
- Nadia Solomon - Yale UniversityFrancisco Calle - Hospital Militar CentralShreyas Reddy Kankara - St. John's SchoolAnne Sailer - Yale UniversityMine Sorkun - Koç UniversityPedro Lourenço Lino - Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São PauloIrene Dixe de Oliveira Santo - NewYork–Presbyterian HospitalVikram Singh Dogra - University of Rochester Medical CenterAngel Donato - Hospital Militar CentralMaria Cristina Chammas - Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São PauloJonathan Russell - University of Iowa Health CareNishant Aswani - Rabindranath Tagore Medical CollegeArchana Rijhsinghani - Agilus Diagnostics, Mumbai, IndiaDouglas S Katz - NYU Langone HealthYashant Aswani - University of IowaMargarita V Revzin - Yale University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Radiographics, Vol.46(4), e250108
- DOI
- 10.1148/rg.250108
- PMID
- 41855075
- NLM abbreviation
- Radiographics
- ISSN
- 1527-1323
- eISSN
- 1527-1323
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/2026
- Academic Unit
- Radiology; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985147180302771
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