Acute Medicine | Infectious diseases | Signs and symptoms of viral encephalitis

Signs and Symptoms of Viral Encephalitis
Session Overview
Description
This session will describe the signs and symptoms that should alert the clinician to suspect a diagnosis of viral encephalitis.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Recognise the symptoms and signs of viral encephalitis
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is the most common virus causing encephalitis in the UK and the USA
• Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) has a tendency to involve the fronto-temporal lobes and can produce focal signs and symptoms including:

• Dysphasia/aphasia
• Hemiparesis
• Cranial nerve palsies
• Visual field defects

• HSE has a variable clinical course in terms of severity of symptoms and length of illness
• The symptoms, signs and clinical cause of viral encephalitis can vary. It is important to suspect the diagnosis. The history and examination may give you clues as to the likely causative agents