Autoimmune complications and clinical outcomes of herpes simplex encephalitis in children: A case series

Objective:To report the neurologic prognosis and autoimmune complications of 16 cases of childhood herpes simplex virus encephalitis.Methods:The study was conducted atŞanlıurfa Training and Research Hospital,Turkey from June 2017 to August 2019.The study included 16 pediatric patients aged between 6 months and 17 years(median age 77.7 months)who were diagnosed with herpes simplex virus type 1 encephalitis by pediatric infectious disease and pediatric neurology clinics.Patients were followed using patient records,and interviews at the pediatric neurology clinic or via the telephone.Clinical and demographic data,received therapies,neurologic prognosis and complications were evaluated.Results:Patients with and without autoimmune encephalitis were compared in terms of age,sex,symptom duration before treatment,initial cerebrospinal fluid protein,glucose,red blood count and white blood count but no significant difference was found.Autoimmune complications were seen in four patients.N-methyl-D-aspartate encephalitis was observed in three patients and choreoathetosis was seen in one patient.The average follow-up period was 48.3 months.Twenty-five percent of the patients were receiving multiple antiepileptic drug(AED)treatment,43.8%were receiving single AED treatment and 31.3%were not receiving AED treatment at the end of the follow-up.Motor disability was observed in 12.5%and drug-resistant epilepsy was observed in 6.3%who had autoimmune complications.Conclusions:Seizures and movement disorders were controlled with immunotherapy and autoantibodies should be studied routinely.Treatment should be started early upon recognition of autoimmune complications through follow-up by measuring autoantibody levels and clinical examination results.Effective prevention and curative treatment modalities are needed to avoid herpes simplex virus encephalitis complications.

Continuous video electroencephalogram for herpes simplex encephalitis:a case report and literature review

Background:Electroencephalogram(EEG)is an important tool for the diagnosis of herpes simplex virus encephalitis(HSE).However,the diagnosis of non-convulsive status epilepticus(NCSE)in HSE is challenging without the help of continuous video EEG(CVEEG),and whether EEG is a predictor of outcome remains controversial.Case presentation:A 63-year-old woman presented with a 5 day history of fever,coma and seizures.Results of EEG,magnetic resonance imaging and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)were suggestive of herpes simplex encephalitis-1(HSE-1).Preliminary EEG showed periodic discharges at the prefrontal and temporal lobes,which were particularly synchronized with intermittent lip smacking movements,and the discharges were terminated by diazepam.After 2-week treatment with acyclovir,high-dose hormone pulse therapy and high-dose immunoglobulin therapy,the CSF was improved,but the patient’s consciousness became worsen,consistent with the diffuse slow waves in the delta range and low voltage of EEG activity.In the following 1 month,the patient had non-responsiveness to pain and sound as shown by CVEEG with diffuse slow waves.Sometimes paroxysmal very slow waves(0.5–1 Hz)were synchronized with intermittent paroxysmal eye movements,pupil abnormality,and sweating in the frontal area.After 2 months of treatment,the EEG abnormalities improved to have alpha rhythm.Conclusion:The CVEEG not only helps identify NCSE but can also be used to monitor HSE progression.