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Review
. 2009 Dec;7(4):142-6.
doi: 10.3121/cmr.2009.864. Epub 2009 Nov 4.

Viral infections of the central nervous system: a case-based review

Cecilia Big  1 , Lora A Reineck, David M Aronoff
Affiliations
Review

Viral infections of the central nervous system: a case-based review

Cecilia Big et al. Clin Med Res. 2009 Dec.

Abstract

Three patients with viral infections of the central nervous system (CNS) were evaluated on an inpatient infectious diseases consultation service within a two-week period. These cases, caused by herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus and enterovirus, highlight the importance of viral pathogens in causing debilitating infections of the CNS and provide examples of the utility of molecular diagnostics in evaluating patients with encephalitis and meningitis. The importance of antiviral therapy is particularly underscored by these cases, as is the variability in response of patients to such agents.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
MRI (T2 image) of the brain shows enhancement in the left temporal lobe in Case 3.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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