Gyral enhancement

Last revised by Craig Hacking ◉ on 18 Aug 2021

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Deng F, Hacking C, Fortin F, et al. Gyral enhancement. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-73596

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-73596

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/73596?embed_domain=hackmd.io%252f%2540yipuafecsl2jsu8smr5njq%252fbnjhjgjghjghjghfavicon.icofavicon.ico

rID:

73596

Article created:

15 Jan 2020, Francis Deng ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Francis Deng had no recorded disclosures.

View Francis Deng's current disclosures

Last revised:

18 Aug 2021, Craig Hacking ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.

View Craig Hacking's current disclosures

Revisions:

9 times, by 5 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Central Nervous System

Sections:

Gamuts

Synonyms:

Gyriform enhancement
Grey matter enhancement
Cortical enhancement

Gyral enhancement, also known as gyriform, cortical, or grey matter enhancement, is a pattern of contrast enhancement in the superficial brain parenchyma that conforms to the serpentine morphology of the cerebral gyri. It should be distinguished from leptomeningeal enhancement, which is also serpentine but occurs on the brain surface rather than within the parenchyma.

The causes are most commonly vascular or inflammatory, with subacute infarction being the most well described ¹:

vascular
- recent cerebral (cortical) infarction ^2-7
  - subacute infarct with luxury perfusion and/or cortical laminar necrosis (after 6 days until up to 4 months following stroke ^26,27)
  - acute ischaemic stroke after thrombolysis/thrombectomy
  - venous infarct ^8-10
- epileptic seizures (vasodilatory postictal state) ^11,12
- migraine
  - migrainous infarction ^15-18
  - hemiplegic migraine ^19,20
  - stroke-like migraine attacks after radiation therapy (SMART) syndrome ^21-23
- posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome ^24,25
inflammatory/infectious
- viral encephalitis
  - herpes
- cerebritis
  - tuberculosis ¹³
neoplastic
- glioblastoma ⁴
- metastases ⁴
toxic
- cortical laminar necrosis related to drug toxicity (immunosuppressants and chemotherapy)¹⁴

These causes may be distinguished by clinical history and brain location.

References

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