Computed tomography scan showing cerebral edema in diabetic ketoacidosis

A 12-year-old boy in DKA (left) and following recovery from the DKA episode (right). Axial FLAIR images (1.5 T) demonstrate that the intercaudate distance (A) is smaller during DKA than after recovery, suggesting mild diffuse brain swelling. No parenchymal signal abnormality is seen. Although slight changes in position, hydration state, or serum osmolality can affect this measurement in a single patient, narrowing of the cerebral ventricles in children in DKA has been found to be statistically significant across a number of patients, suggesting that some degree of brain swelling occurs during DKA.