Neuroimaging clinics of North America
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Inflammatory brain diseases in childhood are underrecognized and lead to devastating yet potentially reversible deficits. New-onset neurologic or psychiatric deficits in previously healthy children mandate an evaluation for an underlying inflammatory brain disease. ⋯ Clinical symptoms, initial laboratory test, and neuroimaging studies help to differentiate between different causes; however, more invasive tests, such as lumbar puncture, conventional angiography, and/or brain biopsy, are usually necessary before the start of treatment. This article focuses on childhood CNS vasculitis.