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The Clinical Approach to Encephalitis

  • Infection (J Halperin, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Encephalitis has various etiologies, but viral infections and autoimmune disorders are the most commonly identified. Clinical signs, geographical clues, and diagnostic testing—including cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities and magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities—can be helpful in identifying the cause. Certain forms of encephalitis have specific treatments; hence, establishing a diagnosis rapidly and accurately is crucial. Here, we describe the clinical approach to diagnosing several common etiologies of encephalitis as well as treatment strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Wang ACC 835, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Amanda L. Piquet & Tracey A. Cho

  2. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Amanda L. Piquet

Authors
  1. Amanda L. Piquet
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  2. Tracey A. Cho
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Correspondence to Tracey A. Cho.

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Amanda L. Piquet and Tracey A. Cho declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Infection

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Piquet, A.L., Cho, T.A. The Clinical Approach to Encephalitis. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 16, 45 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0650-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-016-0650-9

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