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- Encephalitis = brain parenchyma inflammation + altered mental status, fever, seizure, focal neuro
- Meningitis (meninges) vs encephalitis (brain) â clinical overlap (meningoencephalitis)
- Etiology:
- Viral (most common identifiable):
- HSV-1 (#1 in adults sporadic, temporal lobe!) â treatable!
- VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV-6, enterovirus, mumps, rabies
- Arboviruses: WNV, JEV (Asia), EEE/WEE/SLE, Dengue, Powassan, Zika
- HIV (acute or chronic)
- Bacterial (rare cause of true encephalitis): Listeria, Bartonella, M. pneumoniae, syphilis
- Fungal / Parasitic: Cryptococcus (HIV), Toxoplasma (HIV), free-living amoeba (Naegleria, Acanthamoeba)
- Autoimmune: anti-NMDA receptor (paraneoplastic â ovarian teratoma), anti-LGI1, anti-CASPR2, anti-GAD, etc.
- Post-infectious / ADEM: post-viral or post-vaccine
- Empirical acyclovir 10 mg/kg IV q8h ASAP â donât wait for results (HSV mortality 70% without Tx, 30% with)
1ïžâ£ Diagnosis
Clinical
- Fever (most), altered mental status (key!), seizure, focal neuro deficits, headache
- Vs Meningitis: meningitis is meninges, encephalitis is brain parenchyma â meningoencephalitis å
±ååžžèŠ
Workup
- LP ASAP (after CT if focal deficit / immunocompromised / papilledema)
- CSF analysis:
- Lymphocytic pleocytosis (10-1000), normal-mild â protein, normal glucose
- Hemorrhagic? â HSV-1 (RBCs åš CSF)
- HSV PCR on CSF (sensitivity > 96%, do early!)
- VZV, enterovirus, CMV, EBV PCR as indicated
- Arboviral serology (WNV IgM in CSF)
- MRI brain (better than CT) â HSV: temporal + frontal hemorrhagic lesion
- EEG â frequent epileptiform discharges in HSV; subclinical seizures
- Autoimmune workup (if no infection found): anti-NMDA, LGI1, CASPR2, GAD, paraneoplastic panel
2ïžâ£ HSV Encephalitis (éé»)
Clinical
- æ¥æ§ (days) çŒçãaltered mental statusãseizure (especially temporal lobe â déjà vu, smell, fear)
- Mortality 70% untreated â 30% with Tx (15% morbidity-free)
Imaging
- MRI: T2 / FLAIR hyperintensity in temporal lobe ± frontal; bilateral asymmetric (right > left common); hemorrhagic (gradient echo)
- CT (insensitive early)
CSF
- Lymphocytic pleocytosis (10-1000)
- RBCs (50% â hemorrhagic encephalitis)
- Protein â, glucose normal
- HSV PCR (gold standard)
Treatment
- Acyclovir 10 mg/kg IV q8h à 14-21 days (longer in immunocompromised)
- Adjusted for renal function
- Adverse: AKI (well hydrate!), thrombophlebitis
3ïžâ£ Autoimmune Encephalitis
Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis (most common autoimmune)
- å€å¹ŽèŒå¥³æ§ + ovarian teratoma (~ 50% paraneoplastic)
- ç·æ§ + å
ç«¥ less paraneoplastic
- Stages: prodrome (flu-like) â psychiatric (psychosis, agitation, mutism) â seizure / movement disorder â autonomic instability / coma
- Antibody against NMDA receptor (NR1 subunit) in CSF
- MRI 倿£åžž / subtle
- Treatment:
- Tumor removal if found
- First-line: IV methylprednisolone + IVIG OR plasmapheresis
- Second-line: rituximab + cyclophosphamide
- ICU support â recovery 6-12 mo months
Other Autoimmune Encephalitides
- Anti-LGI1: faciobrachial dystonic seizures, hyponatremia, older men
- Anti-CASPR2: Morvan syndrome (insomnia, dysautonomia, neuromyotonia)
- Anti-GAD65: stiff person syndrome, refractory epilepsy
- Anti-Hu, anti-Yo, anti-Ma2, anti-CRMP5: paraneoplastic, classic onconeural Ab
4ïžâ£ å
¶ä» Viruses
West Nile Virus (WNV)
- çŸå / å æ¿å€§ summer; mosquito-borne
- å€§å€ asymptomatic; 1% â neuroinvasive (encephalitis, meningitis, AFP-like paralysis)
- Anterior horn cell (poliomyelitis-like) â asymmetric flaccid paralysis
- Dx: WNV IgM in CSF
- Tx: supportive
Japanese Encephalitis (JEV)
- Asia; mosquito; rural rice paddies + pigs
- Severe encephalitis: 30% mortality, 30-50% sequelae
- JEV vaccine for travelers + endemic residents
- Dx: serology IgM
- Tx: supportive
Rabies
- Bat, dog bite (Asia)
- Encephalitic (âfuriousâ) vs paralytic forms
- Hydrophobia, aerophobia
- Once symptomatic, mortality ~ 100% (only handful of survivors with Milwaukee protocol)
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP): RIG (rabies Ig) + vaccine à 4 doses before symptoms = 100% effective