Encephalitis associated with human herpesvirus-7 infection in an immunocompetent adult

• Published in: Virology journal Vol. 14; no. 1; p. 97
• Main Authors: Parra, Mónica, Alcala, Adoración, Amoros, Cristina, Baeza, Anna, Galiana, Antonio, Tarragó, David, García-Quesada, Miguel Ángel, Sánchez-Hellín, Victoria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 25.05.2017; BMC
• Subjects: Acyclovir; Adult; Adults; Bone marrow; Case Report; Central nervous system; Children; Clinical medicine; Clinical significance; Clinical significance HHV-7 CNS infection; Consciousness; Cytomegalovirus; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Differential diagnosis; DNA; Encephalitis; Encephalitis, Viral - complications; Encephalitis, Viral - diagnosis; Encephalitis, Viral - pathology; Encephalitis, Viral - virology; Encephalomyelitis; Encephalopathy; Etiology; Evolution; Glucose; Herpes viruses; Herpesvirus 7, Human - isolation & purification; Human herpesvirus-7 encephalitis; Humans; Immunocompetence; Immunocompetent adults; Immunodeficiency; Infections; Infectious diseases; Male; Nervous system; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Paralysis; Polymerase chain reaction; Polyradiculopathy - diagnosis; Polyradiculopathy - pathology; Polyradiculopathy - virology; Roseolovirus Infections - diagnosis; Roseolovirus Infections - pathology; Roseolovirus Infections - virology; Immunocompetent adults; Clinical significance HHV-7 CNS infection; Human herpesvirus-7 encephalitis
• ISSN: 1743-422X; 1743-422X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12985-017-0764-y

Primary Human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) infection usually occurs during childhood and causes several clinical manifestations: mainly exanthem subitum (roseola infantum), followed by a lifelong latent state with possible reactivation in case of immunodeficiency. Nevertheless, some considerably different approaches exist regarding the natural history of HHV-7 and the possible consequences of HHV-7 infection in immunocompetent adults. In particular, little is known about its pathogenic role in central nervous system (CNS) disease in nonimmunosuppressed adults. Specifically, in case of encephalitis, it is important to distinguish between infectious encephalitis and postinfectious encephalomyelitis for the management of patients CASE PRESENTATION: We describe here a case of encephalitis associated to human herpesvirus-7 with associated polymyeloradiculopathy in an immunocompetent patient which may contribute to the delineation of the approach to a patient profile with a similar clinical presentation and evolution to those presented in the literature. This case may alert clinicians to consider this specific etiology in the differential diagnosis of encephalopathy in patients with suspected infectious encephalitis who do not respond to acyclovir or in patients who develop acute polymyeloradiculopathy, considering that HHV-7 may be a pathological factor and that a timely diagnosis is crucial for the early administration of specific treatment.