Abstract
Purpose
To describe the clinical pattern of viral central nervous system (CNS) infections and compare meningitis and encephalitis.
Methods
This is a retrospective study reporting the clinical characteristics and outcome of 138 cases of viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis in a real life experience at a referral centre in Turin, Northern Italy.
Results
Enteroviruses were predominant in younger patients who were mainly presenting with signs of meningitis, had shorter hospital admission and absence of complications, whereas herpesviruses had more often signs of encephalitis, were more frequent in elderly patients, had longer hospital admission and frequent complications and sequelae.
Conclusions
Two main clinical entities with different epidemiology, clinical aspects and prognosis may be identified within the group of viral CNS inefctions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kumar R. Aseptic meningitis: diagnosis and management. Indian J Pediatr. 2005;72:57–63 (Review 15684450).
Kupila L, Vuorinen T, Vainionpää R, et al. Etiology of aseptic meningitis and encephalitis in an adult population. Neurology. 2006;66:75.
Huang C, Morse D, Slater B, et al. Multiple-year experience in the diagnosis of viral central nervous system infections with a panel of polymerase chain reaction assays for detection of 11 viruses. Clin Infect Dis. 2004;39:630.
Tyler KL. Emerging viral infections of the central nervous system: part 1. Arch Neurol. 2009;66:939.
Alkan C, Bichaud L, de Lamballerie X, Alten B, Gould EA, Charrel RN. Sandfly-borne phleboviruses of Eurasia and Africa: epidemiology, genetic diversity, geographic range, control measures. Antiviral Res. 2013;100:54–74. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2013.07.005.
CDSC. Viral meningitis associated with increase in echovirus type 13. Commun Dis Rep CDR Wkly. 2000;10:277, 280.
Glaser CA, Gilliam S, Schnurr D, et al. In search of encephalitis etiologies: diagnostic challenges in the California Encephalitis Project, 1998–2000. Clin Infect Dis. 2003;36:731.
Hong HL, Lee EM, Sung H, Kang JK, Lee SA, Choi SH. Clinical features, outcomes, and cerebrospinal fluid findings in adult patients with central nervous system (CNS) infections caused by varicella-zoster virus: comparison with enterovirus CNS infections. J Med Virol. 2014;86:2049–54. doi:10.1002/jmv.23902.
Chamizo FJ, Gilarranz R, Hernández M, Ramos D, Pena MJ. Central nervous system infections caused by varicella-zoster virus. J Neurovirol. 2016;22:529–32. doi:10.1007/s13365-016-0422-y.
Kaewpoowat Q, Salazar L, Aguilera E, et al. Herpes simplex and varicella zoster CNS infections: clinical presentations, treatments and outcomes. Infection. 2016;44:337. doi:10.1007/s15010-015-0867-6.
Funding
This work was supported by the “Fondazione Carlo Denegri ONLUS”, Torino, Italy.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Francesco G. De Rosa and Pietro Caramello have contributed equally to the paper.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Calleri, G., Libanore, V., Corcione, S. et al. A retrospective study of viral central nervous system infections: relationship amongst aetiology, clinical course and outcome. Infection 45, 227–231 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-017-0993-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-017-0993-4