Diagnosis of brainstem abscess in the cerebritis stage by magnetic resonance imaging--case report.

A 52-year-old male presented with a brainstem abscess manifesting as high fever, diplopia, and left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid showed the lesion as a ring-like enhanced mass consisting of a necrotic center with surrounding edema, whereas postcontrast computed tomography revealed no such confirmatory findings. He was treated with antibiotics as the lesion had been detected in the acute cerebritis stage. Serial MR images showed that the lesion decreased remarkably in size. MR imaging can detect brain abscess in the earliest inflammatory stage.