title: Lassa fever encephalopathy: clinical and laboratory findings.
abstract: Clinical and laboratory findings are reported in nine patients who developed acute encephalopathy during the course of Lassa fever. The encephalopathy manifested 3-17 days after disease onset with confusion, followed rapidly by tremor (seven patients), grand mal convulsions (seven), abnormal posturing (three) and coma (eight); focal neurological signs and evidence of raised intracranial pressure were not seen. Eight patients died, most commonly from respiratory arrest following a protracted fit. Development of encephalopathy did not correlate with the presence of virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), nor with virus antibodies in CSF and/or serum; thus, neither direct cytopathic nor immune-mediated mechanisms seem to be involved in its pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, University College, London.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cummins
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fisher-Hoch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farrar
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Machin
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007835:Lassa Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007836:Lassa virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases