Manganese encephalopathy: an under-recognized condition in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Manganese encephalopathy is a potential complication of parenteral nutrition. Lack of early recognition leads to unnecessary testing and to continued exposure to manganese. METHODS: Case report and review of the literature. RESULTS: We describe the clinical and imaging findings of a patient with manganese encephalopathy in whom the diagnosis was delayed due to lack of recognition of the characteristic imaging findings. CONCLUSION: Manganese encephalopathy has protean clinical and imaging findings that can easily be overlooked.