Postviral encephalitis in a child with bilateral basal ganglia involvement: MRI findings and diagnostic considerations

Postinfectious encephalitis in children may occur after viral illness and present with nonspecific neurological symptoms. We report a 7-year-old child who developed behavioral disturbances 2 weeks after a flu-like syndrome. Brain MRI demonstrated bilateral asymmetric hyperintensity of the deep gray nuclei on T2 and FLAIR sequences. In this clinical context, imaging findings were consistent with postviral encephalitis, highlighting the key role of MRI in diagnosis.