Korean Journal of Infectious Diseases  1999;31(1):35-40

A Case of Herpes Simplex Meningoencephalitis with Broca's Aphasia.

Hyung Joon YIM 1 ; Jin Soo LEE ; Byung Won HUR ; Jang Wook SOHN ; Heong Jeong WOO ; Hee Jin CHEONG ; Woo Joo KIM ; Min Ja KIM ; Seung Chull PARK

Affiliations

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Keywords

Herpes simplex meningoencephalitis; Broca's aphasia

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

MeSH

Abstract

Herpetic meningoencephalitis is a devastating disease with significant morbidity and mortality. One of the most serious clinical sequelae is aphasia, usually of sensory type, whereas, Broca's or motor aphasia is not a common manifestation. We report a case of herpetic meningoencephalitis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viral culture with Broca's aphasia as a neurologic sequela. A 35-year old male patient was admitted due to fever and altered mentality for 3 days. He was accompanied by nausea, vomiting, disorientation, and memory defect. Several vesicular eruptions were noted around the lips. Neck stiffness was present, but Kernig's and Brudzinski signs were not observed. Herpetic meningoencephalitis was confirmed with PCR and other diagnostic tests such as EEG, brain MRI, brain CT scan, and viral culture. His overall clinical condition was improved after acyclovir therapy, but Broca's aphasia remained as a sequela.