High-Altitude Cerebral Edema Evaluated with MRI: A Case Report

ABSTRACT

High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) is a rare life-threatening condition observed in individuals who climb high altitudes. This report describes the case of a 38-year-old man who recently climbed a 5000-m-high mountain, showing the following radiologic findings at 3 different anatomical locations: 1) increased T2 signal intensity (SI) without restricted diffusion, with full recovery in the posterior limb of the left internal capsule; 2) increased T2 SI with restricted diffusion, with full recovery in the splenium of the corpus callosum; and 3) increased T2 SI with restricted diffusion and microbleeds, resulting in bilateral encephalomalacia in the globus pallidus. Herein, we report the concurrent typical and atypical radiologic findings of this rare condition caused by vasogenic and cytotoxic edema.