title: Case report: human herpesvirus 7 associated fatal encephalitis in a peripheral blood stem cell transplant recipient.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested a neuroinvasive and neuropersistent potential of human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7). In this report, a case of fatal encephalitis is described and its association with HHV-7 infection is discussed. An 8-year-old girl received a peripheral blood stem cell transplant for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The post-transplant period was uneventful and a course of intrathecal chemotherapy was given on Day-30. On Day-41, she developed acute encephalopathy with diplopia and nystagmus. She ran a rapid downhill course and succumbed despite antiviral treatment. The only positive pathological finding was the multiple microscopic foci of haemorrhage associated with neuronal degeneration detected in the brain stem. All microbiological investigations were negative, except for the presence of HHV-7 DNA in cerebrospinal fluid and brain stem tissue samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. paulkschan@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Paul K S
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ki-Wai
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chik
authors.forename: Ka-Fai
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: To
authors.forename: Chi-Kong
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Matthew M K
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shing
authors.forename: King-Cheung
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Patrick M P
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Yuen
authors.forename: Augustine F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D001933:Brain Stem / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D019349:Roseolovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral