Animal models of cerebral infection by the pathogenic fungi Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii were developed and assessed longitudinally by using anatomical and diffusion MRI as well as MR spectroscopy. MR spectroscopy identified in vivo biomarkers for potential etiological diagnosis and more importantly for quantification of the fungal load in living animals. Our results have great potential to assist in the differential diagnosis of brain lesions in patients, whereby MR spectroscopy is a safer, non-invasive and rapid method in comparison to traditional invasive diagnostic methods such as CSF sampling or biopsies.
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