Encephalitis

An encephalitis ( modern form of ancient Greek ἐγκέφαλος enképhalos "brain", from ἐν "in" and κέφαλη "head", and the medical suffix -itis for " inflammation " ) is an inflammation of the brain. It is usually due to infectious, caused by viruses or - more rarely - by bacteria, protozoa or by medically relevant fungi ( such as Cryptococcus neoformans ). It can also occur as an autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis ). Are the meninges with affected, it is called meningoencephalitis. With involvement of the spinal cord is called encephalomyelitis.

Molding

Depending on the course, cause and exact brain share the possibilities encephalitis can be distinguished. After the course, a distinction is acute, chronic and latent ( without clinical manifestations ) brain inflammation.

After the person affected brain tissue, a distinction:

• Panencephalitis ( the whole brain tissue)
• Polioencephalitis ( the nerve cells bodies of the gray matter )
• Leukenzephalitis ( the nerve connections of white matter )

Symptoms

Depending on the severity and localization of the disease ranging complaints of fever, headache and malaise to paralysis, vision problems with double vision image, convulsions, loss of consciousness and perception and disorientation.

Causes

Almost always, a brain inflammation is the result of viral infections, such as rabies, Japanese encephalitis, influenza, measles, rubella, mumps and the tick-borne encephalitis ( " Tick-borne encephalitis " ) as the tick-borne encephalitis. Also, various herpes viruses such as herpes simplex virus or varicella -zoster virus can cause encephalitis (herpes simplex encephalitis ).

A new group of pathogens represent the prion encephalopathies are responsible for transmissible spongiform.

As bacterial pathogens are typically the listeriosis, typhoid fever, syphilis, or Lyme disease into consideration. Parasitic encephalitis caused by protozoa or worms. A few fungi can cause a mycotic encephalitis, eg in the context of cryptococcosis.

Finally, autoimmune diseases, and paraneoplastic disorders can cause brain inflammation.

Infants and very old people are more at risk to get an encephalitis.

Treatment

Inflammation of the brain must be stationary observed and treated in the hospital in order to timely detect adventitious problems, such as loss of consciousness, seizures, or an organic brain syndrome and act professionally can. Brain inflammation caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics. During infection with herpes simplex virus, the virus- inhibiting acyclovir may be useful. Certain shapes can be prevented by vaccination ( TBE ).

Complications

A slight inflammation of the brain in the context of influenza is often not even noticed and sounds with the flu again. Viruses such as herpes simplex can lead to a serious illness that makes a week-long hospitalization. It can come for a long time to paralysis and speech disorders. In severe cases, mental retardation and autism -like behavioral disorders are possible.

For bacterial encephalitis, the mortality is up to 50 percent.

In some cases, may develop as a late consequence of inflammation of the brain of Parkinson 's disease.