Herpes simplex encephalitis. Is anticoagulation safe?
BACKGROUND
Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) still carries a high morbidity and mortality.


RESULTS
The authors report a 27-year-old patient who presented with an HSE manifested by a high temperature, seizures, and headaches. His hospitalization course was complicated by a pulmonary embolism. After anticoagulation was started, the patient developed a right temporal hematoma at the same region of the abnormal signal on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent a craniotomy and evacuation of the hematoma with an uneventful postoperative outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
The safety of anticoagulation in HSE has not been raised in the literature previously, and it needs further study.
Jabbour
Pascal M
PM
Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA. pascal.jabbour@mail.tju.edu
Ojemann
Steven G
SG
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003399:Craniotomy; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000139:chemically induced; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016306:Vena Cava Filters
D000925:Anticoagulants