Introduction to the concept of provoked epilepsy

摘要: Viral encephalitides include acute viral encephalitis, post-infectious encephalomyelitis, infections of the central nervous system (CNS), and chronic degenerative diseases. This chapter presents diagnostic clinical challenges that accompany management seizures following CNS infection by herpes viruses, RNA enteroviruses, arenaviruses. Fever, headache, lethargy, nausea, non-specific flu-like symptoms are often first signs infection, with subsequent leptomeningeal irritation becoming prominent. Specific viruses can now be detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) where previously specific diagnoses could only made brain biopsy. Patients should therefore treated acyclovir if suspicion is high pending final simplex virus (HSV)-1 PCR results, repeat CSF testing considered. Wider applications may help to determine individual risks for some more common agents.