Diffuse white matter lesions associated with herpes simplex encephalitis as observed on magnetic resonance imaging

• Published in: Brain & development (Tokyo. 1979) Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 150 - 152
• Main Authors: Tamura, Tadahisa, Morikawa, Akihiro, Kikuchi, Kenji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Brain - pathology; Brain lesions; Child, Preschool; Encephalitis, Viral - pathology; Herpes Simplex - pathology; Herpes simplex encephalitis; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the nervous system; White matter; Brain lesions; Magnetic resonance imaging; White matter; Herpes simplex encephalitis; Human; Encephalitis; Nervous system diseases; Pathogenesis; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Herpes; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral disorder; Infection; Virus; Case study; Viral disease; Central nervous system disease; Herpesvirus hominis; Lesion; Child; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0387-7604; 1872-7131
• DOI: 10.1016/0387-7604(95)00141-7

A 2-year-old boy with herpes simplex encephalitis developed diffuse brain lesions involving the white matter of both cerebral hemispheres. These lesions in the white matter were clearly observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the T2-weighted sequence, and were found to have spontaneously disappeared on subsequent MRI performed 7 weeks later. Brain lesions associated with herpes simplex encephalitis in the literature are reviewed and the pathogenesis in the present case is discussed.