title: Clinical manifestations and outcome of patients with severe eosinophilic meningoencephalitis presumably caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis.
abstract: The clinical manifestations and outcome of patients with severe eosinophilic meningoencephalitis has never been reported. We reported 11 comatose patients with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis. Most of them presented with subacute to chronic headache and fever, followed by acute coma. Cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities were similar to alert patients with eosinophilic meningitis. None of them had received antihelmintic drug and seven patients were treated with corticosteroids. Ten patients died and one patient is still in a coma. Corticosteroids seem to be ineffective in severe eosinophilic meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
authors.forename: Verajit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chotmongkol
authors.forename: Kittisak
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawanyawisuth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017185:Angiostrongylus cantonensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D003907:Dexamethasone; D011239:Prednisolone