Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a common pathogen, that causes a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from minor skin infections to severe encephalitis and widespread infections. Acute retinal necrosis (ARN), one of the most serious manifestations of HSV infection, is defined as a rapidly progressing necrotizing retinopathy that presents discrete areas of circumferential retinal necrosis, along with signs of uveitis, vitreitis, and retinal vasculitis. We encountered a case of a female infant, born at 33 weeks of gestation with a body weight at birth of 2,080 g, who had ARN and encephalomalacia due to HSV infection. ARN associated with HSV infection should be suspected when nonspecific retinal exudates are observed in neonates, especially preterm infants.
Body Weight ; Encephalitis ; Encephalomalacia ; Exudates and Transudates ; Female ; Herpes Simplex ; Herpesvirus 2, Human ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Necrosis ; Parturition ; Pregnancy ; Retinal Necrosis Syndrome, Acute ; Retinal Vasculitis ; Retinaldehyde ; Simplexvirus ; Skin ; Uveitis

BACKGROUND: Human herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are responsible for a plethora of human diseases, of which cutaneous and mucocutaneous infections are the most prevalent. In its most severe form, HSV infection can cause meningitis/encephalitis. We compared the Luminex ARIES HSV 1&2 assay (Luminex Corp., Austin, TX, USA), an automated sample-to-result molecular solution, to two non-automated HSV DNA assays. METHODS: A total of 116 artificial controls were used to determine the analytical performance of the ARIES assay. Controls were prepared by spiking universal transport medium (UTM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients who tested negative for HSV by an in-house HSV-1 and -2 DNA assay with reference materials (SeraCare Life Sciences, MA, USA; ZeptoMetrix Corp., MA, USA). Another 117 clinical samples were then used to compare the clinical performance of the ARIES assay with those of an in-house assay and the FTD Neuro 9 assay (Fast Track Diagnostics, Junglinster, Luxembourg). RESULTS: The analytical sensitivity (95% limit of detection) of the ARIES assay was 318 copies/mL (UTM samples) and 935 copies/mL (CSF samples) for HSV-1 strain 96 and 253 copies/mL (UTM samples) and 821 copies/mL (CSF samples) for HSV-2 strain 09. No cross-reactivity was observed in samples spiked with 14 non-HSV microorganisms. Compared with the reference result (agreement between the in-house and FTD Neuro 9 results), the ARIES assay had overall concordance rates of 98.2% (111/113) and 100% (113/113) for HSV-1 and HSV-2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ARIES assay appears to be an excellent alternative for rapid detection and differentiation of HSV in skin and genital infections, meningitis, and encephalitis.
Biological Science Disciplines ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; DNA ; Encephalitis ; Herpes Simplex* ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; Herpesvirus 2, Human ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Simplexvirus* ; Skin

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor encephalitis has clinical features of psychiatric symptoms, loss of memory, seizure, dyskinesia and autonomic dysfunction. While Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis was initially reported in young women with ovarian teratoma, viral infections can trigger anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis as well. Among them, herpes virus is the most common. We report a patient who developed the anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis 47 days after herpes virus encephalitis, which is, to our knowledge, the first case in Korea.
Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis ; Dyskinesias ; Encephalitis ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex ; Female ; Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Korea ; Memory ; Seizures ; Simplexvirus ; Teratoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common type of sporadic encephalitis worldwide, and it remains fatal even when optimal antiviral therapy is applied. There is only a weak consensus on the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in patients with HSE. This study examined whether the radiological and electrophysiological findings have a prognostic value in patients with HSE. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were diagnosed with HSE by applying the polymerase chain reaction to cerebrospinal fluid and who received intravenous acyclovir at our hospital from 2000 to 2014. We evaluated the clinical outcomes at 6 months after onset and their correlations with initial and clinical findings, including the volume of lesions on MRI, the severity of EEG findings, and the presence of epileptic seizures at the initial presentation. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled (18 men and 11 women). Univariate analysis revealed that the presence of severe EEG abnormality and epileptic seizures at the initial presentation were significant correlated with a poor clinical outcome at 6 months (p=0.005 and p=0.009, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the presence of severe EEG abnormality was the only independent predictor of a poor outcome at 6 months (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: In cases of HSE, the initial EEG severity and seizure presentation may be useful predictive factors for the outcome at 6 months after acyclovir treatment.
Acyclovir ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Consensus ; Electroencephalography* ; Encephalitis ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Epilepsy ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Simplexvirus

Neurosyphilis is an infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by Treponema pallidum spirochete. There are several case reports on atypical manifestations of neurosyphilis, involving progressive cognitive dysfunction and seizures similar to those in herpes encephalitis. Seizures are common in patients with neurosyphilis, but they are usually associated with a positive Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction and status epilepticus is atypical as an initial manifestation of neurosyphilis. Here, we report on neurosyphilis patient whose initial symptom was nonconversive status epilepticus.
Central Nervous System ; Communicable Diseases ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex ; Humans ; Neurosyphilis* ; Seizures ; Spirochaetales ; Status Epilepticus* ; Treponema pallidum

No abstract available.
Astrocytoma* ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Herpes Simplex*

Herpes simplex encephalitis is the most common form of encephalitis, but herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) encephalitis is very rare during pregnancy. In immunocompetent patients, HSV-2 encephalitis is usually mild. With early diagnosis and prompt initiation of antiviral treatment, as well as enhanced neurocritical care, a favorable outcome can be expected in both mother and neonate. We report a rare case of maternal HSV-2 encephalitis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction following appendectomy. The woman had no symptomatic genital lesion, and the infant was not infected.
Appendectomy ; Early Diagnosis ; Encephalitis* ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex ; Female ; Herpesvirus 2, Human* ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Mothers ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Simplexvirus ; Skin*

A 59-year old man was admitted for drowsiness and stiff neck. CSF examination showed lymphocytic pleocytosis and PCR for herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 was positive in CSF. Brain MRI revealed enhanced lesions in left temporal lobe. His symptom improved with acyclovir. Follow-up studies showed red blood cells in CSF and a hematoma in the left temporal lobe. There was no additional symptom related to the hematoma. He was discharged after conservative care. Although rare, hematoma can develop in HSV-1 meningoencephalitis.
Acyclovir ; Brain ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Erythrocytes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma* ; Herpes Simplex* ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; Leukocytosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningoencephalitis ; Neck ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Simplexvirus ; Sleep Stages ; Temporal Lobe

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) in childhood and to analyze genotype of UNC93B1 and TLR3.

METHODData of a total of 30 HSE patients admitted to Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2008 to September 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, the data included clinical manifestations, physical sign, auxiliary examination, therapy and long-term clinical prognosis. The family history obtained during follow-up visit was also analyzed for genetic predisposition. With parents' agreement, the blood specimens of patients were collected in EDTA anticoagulant tubes, the first 2 genetic etiologies UNC93B1 and TLR3 were sequenced, and the genetic susceptibility to HSE in childhood was summarized.

RESULT(1) All the 30 patients (100%) had fever, 28 (93%) had seizure, 25 (83%) had altered state of consciousness, only 11 (37%) had personality changes, and in 8 (73%) appeared at or after 2 weeks of onset . (2) During the long-term follow up, 2 (7%) patients died after discharge, 23 patients (82%) had neurological sequelae, 13 patients (57%) had moderate, severe disability and vegetative state. (3) After sequencing of UNC93B1, and TLR3, one patient was found homozygous for a single-nucleotide substitution at position C.414C>G in exon 4 of UNC93B1 which affected the expression of UNC93B1, and may block or decrease the production of interferon. (4) Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in this study, their genotype frequency and gene frequency of Chinese were respectively searched in Genomes Project in NCBI and defined 1 000 genomes group. The genotype frequency of UNC93B1 rs7149 between 1 000 genomes group and HSE group was significantly different (χ² = 55.37, P<0.05). The frequency of CC type and C type was higher in HSE group, both of them had significant difference (χ² = 93.90, P<0.05, OR=61.563; χ² = 134.40, P<0.05, OR=12.491).

CONCLUSIONHSE lacks specific clinical manifestations, the long-term prognosis is poor. One HSE patient carrying a heterozygous mutation in UNC93B1 which may lead to the susceptibility to HSE and had harmful effect on long-term prognosis. The SNP UNC93B1 rs7149 may also have relationship with susceptibility to HSE and the children carrying CC genotype or C gene in this gene site maybe more susceptible to HSE.

Child ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Toll-Like Receptor 3 ; genetics

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare viral encephalitis in adults. A high (70%) mortality rate with serious complications has been reported even after active, appropriate management. The association between HSE and immune suppression is unclear, but there are case reports of cancer patients in which HSE concomitantly developed after whole brain radiation or high-dose steroid treatment. The clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of these patients are atypical compared to the general population. Although brain magnetic resonance images reveal typical HSE findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis might be normal in cancer patients. We report a case of HSE in a 48-year-old male diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and treated with concurrent chemoradiation. This patient had a normal cell count in CSF, but HSE was finally diagnosed from positive polymerase chain reaction test results. After administration of acyclovir and systemic steroid treatment, the patient had a good clinical course with few neurologic sequelae.
Acyclovir ; Adult ; Brain ; Cell Count ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex* ; Encephalitis, Viral ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mortality ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction