In three cases of cerebral malaria, MR imaging disclosed either cortical infarcts (one case) or hyperintense areas of white matter (two cases) on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery sequences. These white matter abnormalities were, in one case, sharply limited, symmetrical, hyperintense, and unenhanced; in the other case, they were diffuse, hyperintense, and had a more limited focus. The diffuse hyperintensity was probably due to edema, whereas focal lesions were probably associated with gliosis.