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Viral Infections of the Nervous System

  • Chapter
Prognosis of Neurological Diseases

Abstract

Encephalitides with a known etiology account for 30–60 % of the total, and viruses are their most frequent cause in immunocompetent individuals.

Overall, the prognosis of viral encephalitides depends on three main factors: (1) the neurotropism of the virus, (2) the immune status of the host, and (3) the existence of an etiological treatment.

The characteristics of the host which can adversely affect prognosis are older age, immunodeficiency, the presence of cerebral edema, coma, status epilepticus, thrombocytopenia, and the need for mechanical ventilation.

Regardless of the causative agent, the prognosis is also linked to the presence of two important and mutually independent events: epileptic seizures and myelitis; their occurrence significantly affects the patient’s chances of survival and residual deficits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. C. Mondino National Institute of Neurology Foundation IRCCS, Pavia, Italy

    Enrico Marchioni & Giulia Berzero

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  1. Enrico Marchioni
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  2. Giulia Berzero
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Correspondence to Enrico Marchioni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fondazione “Giancarlo Quarta”, Milano, Milan, Italy

    Angelo Sghirlanzoni

  2. Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy

    Giuseppe Lauria

  3. Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy

    Luisa Chiapparini

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Marchioni, E., Berzero, G. (2015). Viral Infections of the Nervous System. In: Sghirlanzoni, A., Lauria, G., Chiapparini, L. (eds) Prognosis of Neurological Diseases. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5755-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5755-5_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-5754-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-5755-5

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