Acute or Subacute Infectious Encephalitis: How to Approach?

Abstract

Encephalitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of brain parenchyma leading to symptoms like acute fever, seizures, altered mental status, focal neurological deficits, neurological disability post recovery and even death. Infectious cause may comprise of virus, bacteria, fungus or parasitic agents. Viral causes account for the largest proportion of cases but encephalitis caused by microbes other than virus are frequently reported in immunocompetent individuals. This review article focuses on diagnosis, management and prognosis of acute or subacute infectious causes of encephalitis. Role of cerebrospinal fluid studies, MRI, novel diagnostic methods like next generation sequencing are also studied.