Acute encephalopathy associated with influenza A virus infection.
Twenty-one patients aged 4-78 years with influenza A virus-associated acute encephalopathy were studied. Influenza A virus could be detected only in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimen obtained from 1 of 18 patients, despite the use of a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction assay. Six patients experienced influenzal encephalopathy during the course of respiratory illness. Five of these patients had hypoprothrombinemia and 4 had increased serum creatinine levels, indicating hepatic and/or renal dysfunction. Fourteen patients experienced postinfluenzal encephalopathy <or=3 weeks after resolution of acute respiratory symptoms. In 6 patients, focal areas of high signal intensity were visible on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of the brain. Adenovirus DNA was detected in CSF specimens obtained from 4 (36%) of 11 patients with postinfluenzal encephalopathy. Thus, influenzal encephalopathy is frequently associated with metabolic disorders, whereas postinfluenzal encephalopathy appears to have different possible etiologies.
Steininger
Christoph
C
Institute of Virology, University of Vienna, Austria. christoph.steininger@univie.ac.at
Popow-Kraupp
Theresia
T
Laferl
Hermann
H
Seiser
Andreas
A
Gödl
Irene
I
Djamshidian
Schiva
S
Puchhammer-Stöckl
Elisabeth
E
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged