Acute viral encephalitis

The result of acute viral encephalitis are neuronal and glia defects occurring with inflammation and edema.

Etiology

• Mumps, HSV, VZV, EBV.
• Substantial link to the vector: tick – tick encephalitis, Russian spring encephalitis; mosquito - western equine disease (USA), western Nile encephalitis (Africa).
• Post-infectious encephalitis – follow childhood infections (measles, chickenpox, rubella), it is not a direct effect of the virus.

Clinical manifestations

MRI - HSV encephalitis

• General manifestations ("influenza"): muscle pain, fever, headache, meningeal reactions, cerebrospinal fluid cell proliferation.
• Symptoms of brain impairment - focal/diffuse, according to location.
• With hemisphere involvement → epilepsy, involuntary movements, paresis, confusion, speech disorders.
• Rhombencephalits = defects in cerebellar and brainstem structures.
• Mesencephalic defect→ oculomotoric and autonomic disorders.
• Cerebellar defect→ ataxia, dysarthria.
• Brainstem defect → nystagmus, quadruparesis, cranial nerve palsy.
• Spinal cord defect→ mixed motor, sensitive and autonomic dysfunction.

Prognosis

• Usually lasts for several weeks;
• the prognosis depends on the type of virus;
• mortality HSV infection 20-30%, in mumps only 2%;
• also the neurological consequences vary in severity.

References

Related articles

• Encephalitis
  • Viral encephalitis: Rabies, Polio, Herpetic encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis