Neurological Disorders Associated with Human Alphaherpesviruses.

Neurological Disorders Associated with Human Alphaherpesviruses. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1045:85-102 Authors: Kawada JI Abstract Herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis is the most common cause of sporadic fatal encephalitis worldwide, and central nervous system (CNS) involvement is observed in approximately one-third of neonatal HSV infections . In recent years, single-gene inborn errors of innate immunity have been shown to be associated with susceptibility to HSV encephalitis . Temporal lobe abnormalities revealed by magnetic resonance imaging-the most sensitive imaging method for HSV encephalitis-are considered strong evidence for the disease. Detection of HSV DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of HSV encephalitis and neonatal meningoencephalitis. Intravenous acyclovir for 14-21 days is the standard treatment in HSV encephalitis. Neurological outcomes in neonates are improved by intravenous high-dose acyclovir for 21 days followed by oral acyclovir suppressive therapy for 6 months. Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) causes a wide range of CNS manifestations. VZV encephalitis typically occurs after primary infection, and reactivation of VZV may cause encephalitis. On the other hand, VZV infection of cerebral arteries produces vasculopathy, which can manifest as ischemic stroke. Vasculopathy can occur after primary infection or reactivation of VZV. PCR detection of VZ...
Source: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology - Category: Research Tags: Adv Exp Med Biol Source Type: research