Journal List > Korean J Pediatr Infect Dis > v.3(2) > 1126601

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Park, Lee, Lee, and Sohn: A Case of Type 1 Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis Detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction
Case Report

Korean Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases 1996; 3(2): 207-213.

Published online: 30 November 1996

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14776/kjpid.1996.3.2.207

A Case of Type 1 Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis Detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction

Dae Young Park, M.D., Joon Soo Lee, M.D., Young Ho Lee, M.D., Young Mo Sohn, M.D.

Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.

Copyright © 1996 The Korean Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Herpes simplex virus(HSV) infections of the CNS are associated with significant morbidity and mortality even when appropriate antiviral therapy is administered. HSV infections of the brain can be subdivided into two categories : neonatal HSV infections, which usually are caused by HSV type 2, and herpes simplex encephalitis(HSE), which occur in patients over 3 months old and is nearly uniformly caused by HSV type 1.
The clinical presentation of HSE is one of the focal encephalopathic process associated with altered levels of consciousness, (ever, focal seizures and hemiparesis. But because of the lack of pathognomic clinical presentation and diagnostic procedure, the efforts to develop alternative diagnostic procedure have led to the use of new diagnostic technique such as polymerase chain reaction(PCR).
We report a case of HSV type 1 encephalitis in 13 month old male infant who presented with altered level of consciousness, fever and focal seizures. With the use of the PCR, HSV-1 DNA was detected in cerebrospinal fluid from the patient.
The symptoms and signs of encephalitis subsided by treatment with acyclovir in 14 days.

Keywords: Herpes simplex virus encephalitis, Polymerase chain reavtion

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