RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Infectious encephalitis: mimics and chameleons
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 225
OP 237
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2018-002114
VO 19
IS 3
A1 Michel Toledano
A1 Nicholas W S Davies
YR 2019
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/19/3/225.abstract
AB ‘Query encephalitis’ is a common neurological consultation in hospitalised patients. Identifying the syndrome is only part of the puzzle. Although historically encephalitis has been almost synonymous with infection, we increasingly recognise parainfectious or postinfectious as well as other immune-mediated causes. We must also distinguish encephalitis from other causes of encephalopathy, including systemic infection, metabolic derangements, toxins, inherited metabolic disorders, hypoxia, trauma and vasculopathies. Here, we review the most important differential diagnoses (mimics) of patients presenting with an encephalitic syndrome and highlight some unusual presentations (chameleons) of infectious encephalitis.