Meningoencephalitis
Contents
Introduction
Meningoencephalitis is a very serious neurological condition resembling both meningitis and encephalitis - inflammation of the the meninges (covering of the CNS) and inflammation of the brain tissues respectively. [1]
Meningoencephalitis is usually a result of direct embolization to meningeal vessels, with subsequent parenchymal or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) invasion of the infecting organism.
Causes
Meningoencephalitis is caused by various bacterial, viral and protozoan infection. Some of them are; [2]
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Neisseria meningitidis
- Rickettsia prowazekii
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- Tuberculosis
- Borrelia (Lyme disease)
- Leptospirosis
- Tick-borne meningoencephalitis
- West Nile virus
- Measles
- [Epstein-Barr Virus|Epstein-Barr]] virus
- Varicella-zoster virus
- Enterovirus
- Herpes simplex virus type 1
- Herpes simplex virus type 2
- Mumps virus
- HIV
3. Protozoas
- Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, e.g., Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Sappinia diploidea
- Trypanosoma brucei
- Toxoplasma gondii (sporozoa)
Prognosis
As the disease is a combination of two very serious neurological conditions, it is linked with severe morbidity and high mortality rate.
Clinical Presentation
Patients present with symptoms of both meningitis and encephalitis.
Diagnosis
Meningoencephalitis can be dignosed through any of the following like meningitis and encephalitis;
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Electroencephalography (EEG)
- Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
- Urine analysis
- Blood test
Management / Intervention
Intervention is generally symptomatic and may include various management strategies of meningitis and encephaliti depending on which symptoms are expressed as related to both medical and Physiotherapy managements.
References
- ↑ Orgogozo JM, Gilman S, Dartigues JF, et al. Subacute meningoencephalitis in a subset of patients with AD after Aß42 immunization. Journal of Neurology. 2003; 61 (1): 46–54.
- ↑ Newton PJ, Newsholme W, Brink NS, Manji H, Williams IG, Miller RF. Acute meningoencephalitis and meningitis due to primary HIV infection. British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.). 2002;325 (7374): 1225–7.
- ↑ Del Saz SV, Sued O Falcó V, Agüero F Crespo M, Pumarola T, Curran A, Gatell JM. Acute meningoencephalitis due to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in 13 patients: clinical description and follow-up. Journal of neurovirology. 2008;14 (6): 474–9.
